Mental
by IllBeYourYoongi
Summary: When Loki decides to kidnap a young telepath, the Avengers (and some new friends) are called in to help find her. Only, they don't know what they've gotten themselves into. Intrigue, shenanigans, and budding romance ensues. Loki/OC, OC/OC, Brooke/OC if you squint, but not really.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Merry early Christmas everyone! My gift to you? This epic story. (Really. Epic. You'll understand as we go.) This one has been written with Rosemary Locks. (** **u/7302274/Rosemary-Locks)**

 **Disclaimers: we only own Drake, Demetri, Paige, and Kitania. The Marvel characters are, of course, Marvel's. And Brooke is borrowed from this amazing story:** **/megan-fatheree/sisters-keeper.** **Hope you enjoy this as much as we enjoy writing it!**

* * *

 _The End._

It was such a refreshing feeling to end a book – to be someone else, while you forget about your own life, and then come back to it. It was the coming back part that Paige didn't like.

She sighed and put her book down on the bench she was sitting on. _Robin Hood_. The golden title sparkled in the sun, dancing across the field of green that it was imprinted on.

 _If only I could have an adventure. I want to meet a prince, like Robin of Locksley. I want a brave man to save me, like Robin saved Marian. I know I have Drake... but he couldn't save me from a fly._

 _I could too! Where's that fly?_

Paige looks up, her face as pale as the clouds above her, and locked eyes with her boyfriend, Drake. He was walking down the park pathway towards her, smiling like he knew some big secret.

 _Was I broadcasting again?_ Paige groaned mentally.

 _Like a radio tower_. Drake laughed inside his mind. He stood before her and held his arms open wide. Paige stood and embraced him. His black shirt was warm from the sun, and she had no idea how he kept from getting sun burned.

 _See? You didn't burst into flames when you stepped outside. Let's see, do you sparkle?_ Paige took a playful step back, teasing her nerdy Goth, and looking him over for any imaginary sparkles.

 _I'm not a vampire, Paige._ Drake laughed. He took her hand and spun her around, watching as her baby purple sun dress bloomed out as she twirled. She was so beautiful, despite how bookish she was. Paige was his own sexy librarian.

She laughed inside her mind as she twirled, unknowingly broadcasting again. To the untrained mental ear, her voice was simply that of a distant memory rising to the surface. It always left as quickly as it came. Nearby mothers who were watching their children play remembered the first time they heard their baby laugh. Wounded lovers heard the laugh of the one who broke their heart. The elderly, who often frequented the park to feed the pigeons, heard the laugh of their grandkids or of their lost spouse.

Drake, however, was used to Paige's ability. He could recognize her voice a mile away.

The first time she had broadcast to him, it freaked him out. They had been dating for only six months, trying to recover from the foul experimentation they had been subject to, when Paige began to "talk". It was the first time Drake had ever heard her voice. If she hadn't been signing the very words he heard in his head as he heard them, he too would have judged her voice as a distant memory.

It is strange how the human mind works. We are so used to our own inner voices that when another joins it, we count it as a figment of our imagination. Why would there be any other voice in our mind but our own?

 _Come on. Your mother wants you home. She sent me to come find you._

Paige stopped twirling and looked up at him. _How did you know where I was?_

 _You frequent only three places in this world: the park, the library, and your house._

Paige socked Drake playfully in the arm. _You know I go more places than that._

Drake laughed audibly again. It was strange to hear him laugh during such a visibly silent conversation. _Like where? Anywhere else you go, I take you._

 _Yeah, well..._ Paige trailed off, unable to come up with a reply.

Drake held out his elbow to her. Paige smiled, grabbed her book off of the bench, and took his arm. The two walked arm in arm out of the park.

As they made their way down the busy sidewalks of New York, they passed Stark Tower. Paige stopped to stare up at it. It was so tall and beautiful.

 _Maybe Mr. Stark can help me._

 _Mr. Stark? The billionaire?! Paige, be serious._

Paige let go of Drake's arm and looked at him. _I am being serious, Drake. They know what it's like to suddenly have freaky powers. Maybe they can find a cure._

 _No offense, sugarplum, but why would they help you? You're just a librarian._

 _So? Captain America couldn't even get into the army until he went through his transformation._

 _Why are you so stuck on this? You're fine just the way you are._

 _No, I'm not. I have freaky powers and no one understands me. Do you know what it's like to have the entire state of New York bumping around in your brain all the time? No. You don't._

"What do you want Mr. Stark to do for you? Huh? Build you a helmet like his? Will that silence the voices? What about a ton foil hat? Will he make you one of those? I can do that, Paige. Come on." Drake grabbed her hand and gently tugged.

Paige yanked it away from him. _That was hurtful, Drake. Really hurtful. Don't bother escorting me home like you're some kind of gentleman._ With that, Paige stormed past him, making her own way home.

"Fine!" Drake called after her. "Be that way! Let's see if we do anything tomorrow! No! I don't think we will!" With a huff, Drake turned away, heading for his own apartment.

Paige burst through her front door and ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Paige!" her mother called. "Is that you? Dinner's ready. Come and eat."

 _Leave me alone, Mom._ Paige broadcast. _I had a fight with Drake. I just want to go to my room._ Paige flung open the door to her room and flopped face-first down into her bed. Soon, she felt a pressure on the bed next to her and a hand on her back.

"You want to talk about it?"

Paige shook her head. A mass of straight brown hair shook with it.

"Alright." Paige's mother kissed the back of her head. "If you get hungry, there'll be leftovers in the fridge."

Paige looked up from her pillow as her mother turned out the light. There was still plenty of light shining through her window, but the sun was going down.

Before she knew it, Paige fell asleep, her _Robin Hood_ book still clutched to her chest.

* * *

/ /

* * *

Loki folded his arms and waited for the dim light in the small window to fade completely. Not all were so attune to the faint glow left by the bright luminescence of a lightbulb here on Midgard, but he had learned early on that he saw many things the mere mortals did not. Another reason he considered himself above them.

When the last microwatt of brightness had succumbed to the blackness of night, he made his move.

The window was easy to reach, especially when one had powers such as he did. Thor wasn't the only Asgardian who had accessed the power to leap higher and hold stronger than any human could. He crouched outside the small glass panes and waited for the sun to disappear over the horizon. It wouldn't do to have a nosy neighbor see something amiss.

Not that they would see anything at all, with the tricks he had learned to cloak himself and anything else he wished in a shield of invisibility. He just liked to be on the safe side. If his brother were anywhere near, he would be on heightened alert.

Loki rolled his eyes. His brother. He shouldn't even call the giant buffoon his brother, since they weren't officially related, but the annoying habit wouldn't be broken. He had tried, on more than one occasion, and he couldn't cease to refer to the oaf as his brother. He growled, low in his throat.

It didn't take long, once the sun reached the horizon, for the sky to step aside and allow the night to appear. The stars shone dimly and the moon was all but invisible. The clouds hung precariously over the blue-black pit of space.

With a flick of his wrist, Loki cloaked both himself and his thoughts. And with a single tug, he opened the window. One foot at a time, down onto the girl's floor. His cape snagged on a loose nail, and he quickly tugged it aside. He wrinkled his nose and thought about cursing the blasted thing, but held his tongue.

Instead, he turned his attention to the girl. Paige. She was more than what the world around her treated her as. More than a mute. More than a silly girl with a special power. There were things inside her that even she knew naught about. But he did. And he would help her realize her true potential.

She wanted a Robin Hood, a hero – he had heard her thoughts, this telepath – and he would be that. He wanted her to have that. She deserved it.

Without a second thought, Loki scooped her from the bed, book and all. She was lighter than he had imagined she would be, and the light weight in his arms made him smile wider. Perfect. That's what she was. And he would make sure she stayed that way.

Loki easily ducked out the window and landed gently on the ground.

Let them come. Let them throw everything they had at him. He wouldn't let her go.

* * *

/ /

* * *

The next morning, Drake arrived at Paige's home with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Daisies. Her favorite.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Paige! Are you home? Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. Come out. Paige! PAIGE!" Drake knocked all the harder, waiting for her to answer.

Finally, her mother heard him. "Ugh. Paige! Wake up!" her mother called from the next room.

Paige didn't answer.

"Paige?" Her mother climbed reluctantly out of bed and went to Paige's room. She knocked twice and opened the door. Paige wasn't there. She immediately ran down the stairs and opened the door for Drake. "Where's my daughter?"

"Um, I was hoping you could answer that question. She's not in the kitchen?"

Drake stepped in and peeked around a corner. Nope. She wasn't in the kitchen. He rushed up the stairs. Nope, she wasn't in the bathroom either. He looked in her room. Her bed was a mess. Perhaps she took her book and went to the park. Just as Drake turned to leave, something caught his eye. A piece of green cloth was trapped between the window and the frame. Drake went over to the window and opened it, taking the fabric off of the nail.

He looked it over and watched it shimmer. In an instant, he was out the door and down the stairs.

"I'll find her, Mrs. Barnett! I know just where to go!" With that, Drake bolted down the street, heading for Stark Tower. If anyone could find his little "gifted" it was The Avengers.


	2. Chapter 2

Paige awoke in a bright bedroom. It was too bright. Perhaps it was because she was so used to sleeping in her dark room with her dark purple curtains. She blinked and tried to rub her eyes, but her arms were strapped down to the soft arms of a lounge chair. She tugged at her legs. They, too, were strapped. She looked around the empty room.

 _Oh, no. Not again._

Paige began to thrash wildly, trying to break free from her restraints. She tried to open them with her mind, but to no avail.

 _Doctor Paileo, if you think I'm gonna fall for your tricks again, you have another thing coming._ Paige thought, broadcasting her thoughts to whoever was listening. _I'll turn you inside out. I'll burn your brain. You can't use me as your lab rat again. You messed with my brain once, I won't let you mess with it again! Show yourself, you coward!_

 _I've no intention of hurting you, so you might as well calm down,_ Loki instructed from the far corner. The shadows allowed him to remain at a distance, obscuring his face but allowing his silhouette to be seen. And he enjoyed watching her. She had spirit, and he liked it. It added to her perfection. He leaned against the wall and waited to see how she would react to the soothing tone he had used especially for her. He kept his thoughts veiled. No use letting her know too much too soon.

Paige froze at the unfamiliar voice. She looked up at the corner where the kidnapper's silhouette could be seen. _Who are you? What do you want with me? You take one step towards me, and I'll... I don't know what I'll do, but I'll do something!_ Paige tried to reach into the stranger's mind, but something stopped her. All at once, she realized it... silence. She heard absolutely nothing in her mind except the echo of her own inner voice. _What are you?_

Loki tilted his head to the side and watched her. She was terribly frightened, and he hadn't meant to do that. She would not allow him to comfort her, he knew that as well as he knew her telepathy ran deep. The only thing he could do was broadcast a message.

So he did. _I want to help you. You want to know why you are this way, do you not? You long to understand your beginnings, your present. Your destiny. Allow me to assist you._

His only hope, that she would listen and understand. To find one so like-minded on Midgard was a rare gem indeed, and he needed her to understand.

Paige squinted, trying to make out the features of the strange man. _Why should I trust you? You kidnapped me from my home. You won't even tell me who you are. You walk so easily into my mind, yet you won't let me into yours. …How are you doing that, anyway? What are you?!_

She pulled frantically at the restraints again, trying desperately to free herself. If she couldn't go to him to see what he looked like, then she would just bring him to her. Instead of concentrating on the straps that bound her, she focused on mentally grabbed him by the shoulders and dragging him toward her.

Loki held in a chuckle and pushed the telekinesis away. He had long ago learned how to resist things like that. Wars had been won by resisting telekinesis. She was persistent, but he continued to resist. He wouldn't allow her to move him without his permission. "Had you asked nicely, I would have gladly shown myself. If we are to be introduced, we should arrive at the conclusion civilly. Until then, I shall remain where I am."

Paige looked the guy over, what she could see of him, and sighed. If she had to swallow her pride to get anything done, she would. _I'm sorry. You're right. Would you please stop hiding in the shadows and show yourself? I would like to know the man to whom I speak._ Paige gave her best polite smile, hoping to win him over.

Loki smirked. He didn't believe a word of it, but he had asked her to ask nicely, and she had. He made sure he wasn't wearing that ridiculous horned helmet that had somehow become part of his armor, and then he stepped from the shadows. He kept his face calm, and he knew his trepidation shone through his eyes. He didn't know what to expect from her, he only knew she made him nervous.

He shrugged, like he was ashamed to be seen. In some shallow part of his heart, he was. He didn't know if he would frighten her or anger her. He didn't know if she would see him as a monster or recognize him for what he was. Lost and misunderstood.

He raised his eyes and kept his thoughts veiled. Anxious to know what she thought, but preparing for the worst. He folded his hands behind his back and waited for her reaction.

Paige gasped as she watched the man step out of the shadows. _Loki. Prince of Asgard. Nordic god of jest and war._ She broadcast, her eyes wide in terror.

Within moments, her eyes filled with tears, forcing her to turn her face away. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, splashing down onto her neck and shoulder. She sobbed softly, her breathing ragged from her tight throat.

 _Murderer._ She whispered in her mind. _Murderer._

Loki didn't know what he had expected, but he hadn't expected the tears to affect him so deeply. And her use of the word murderer, as if she hated him before she even had met him. He tried to be good, to be the best he could be, but it was hard. And technically, he justified, Thor was the god of war.

He didn't know how to comfort her without making her more afraid, so he held in his own tears and looked away. Why did no one understand? When would he ever find one who saw him for the good inside, and not the insufferable trickery he tried to outwit?

"I swear on my life I would never hurt you," he said aloud. He stepped to her side and hesitated to reach a finger to her windpipe. He didn't. "I am sorry I frighten you so." His voice cracked on the last syllable, and he turned and raced from the room before he allowed himself to sob quietly.

 _That's right, you coward!_ Paige broadcast, still sobbing. _Run away. Run away and go cry your crocodile tears. Do you think I pity you? You, who killed my father! I remember the monsters you unleashed on the city. I remember seeing you on the news, standing over the people of Germany, declaring yourself a god. Would you let a "worm" like me affect you so, that you cry tears? No. Your tricks won't work on me, court jester. So, go. Go cry alone. Don't expect my pity, you washed-up, dethroned, wandering prince! Go hurt and feel my pain!_

Paige's thoughts dissolved as her body wracked with sobs. She remembered the day her father was killed. She was only fifteen. She was at home sick that day and was watching television with her mother when the news interrupted, bringing a live broadcast of the destruction of the city. The two women watched in horror as the building Mr. Barnett worked in was smashed to pieces by one of the flying creatures. The Avengers had saved many lives that day, but her father's life was not one of them. Her mother was all she had now, with Paige having to pay half the rent just to keep them from being evicted from their home.

Paige reflected on this, among other things, as her sobs died away. How would her mother make ends meet now, with her gone? What was Drake going to do? The last time they spoke, they were mad at each other. Oh, what she would give to be in his arms again.

What did Loki plan to do with her, anyway? He seemed like he wanted to help her, but he was too selfish for that. He must have other reasons. He must be planning to hack her brain and use her as the next super-weapon against Earth. Smart, using one of their own against them. All he would have to do was touch her heart with his staff, and she'd be all his. His own mindless pet to play with.

Paige sighed and let her head hang down to her chest. There was no way out of this. She could run, but what good would that do? Loki was a god, he could easily catch her. And, if she resisted him... she didn't want to think of what would happen if she ticked off an already moody prince. If she gave in to him, however, he would do whatever he wished with her. Somehow, she had to find a way out.

Half of her thoughts were being broadcast, like a radio station that doesn't come in quite right. She had no idea.

At first, the silence in Paige's mind was refreshing. It was nice to have her thoughts left alone for once. But, after about an hour of sitting in silence, the lack of the usual chatter was getting to her. Soon, the sound of her own breathing grew deafening to her ears. She needed _someone_ to talk to, even if it was her captor.

 _Prince Loki,_ she called out in her mind, hoping her broadcast would penetrate through the stone walls around her. _I'm sorry for the hurtful things I said. I was angry. I still am, but I'm willing to listen now. Please... I need someone to talk to. Some other noise than the sound of my beating heart. This silence is driving me crazy! Please... forgive me for what I said._

Loki heard her thoughts, her plea. Him, a murderer! The thought was almost too much to bear, that this woman blamed him for what he had no choice in. He had to explain, but he could not bring himself to do so cowardly. He could not bring himself to say it in his mind.

He strode back in, not bothering to wipe away the tears. She knew, anyway. He had heard her call him a coward, and he probably was. Nothing special, that's what she thought. And it hurt, because she was so special in her own right.

"People always speak as though I was given a choice." He tried not to break down, it wouldn't help him any. "I am sorry for your father, for your loss. I know it well, this hurt. Others hurt, as well. What choice does one have when Death himself has brought so many tortures upon you? When he commands you to lead his army or face your fate. A fate worse than death. Truly, I am sorry for what my actions have caused, but I did not have the choice most claim I did."

He stepped closer, the tears flowing again, and this time he was not ashamed. What shame could such a coward feel? He wanted to comfort her, to show her just how sorry he was for her loss, but couldn't quite bring himself to do so.

Paige looked up when Loki entered the room, his face still damp from his tears. She listened to his explanation, but didn't quite believe him. She took a moment to think before she responded.

Perhaps he had acted out of fear for his life. He did seem very childish, the way he was so jealous of his brother and wanted power over Earth. Like a child throwing a tantrum. Perhaps it was that same childishness that made him fearful of Death, the way children are fearful of the monster in their closets. ...But, she had watched him on the news. He killed so many people and looked like he was enjoying it. …But, of course, he was a god. He probably had the mentality of a boy with a magnifiying glass, burning ants for fun. Maybe that's all he was: a hurt little boy. That's why he ran from the room when she started crying, and why he had cried himself. He had felt guilt for making her cry, and unable to bear it, he fled.

She decided to run with that theory.

 _I'm sorry I judged you so harshly._ Paige broadcast softly. _I didn't know. …I still don't trust you, but I am willing to listen to you. You said you wished to help me. If you truly want to help me, I'll need to see an act of kindness on your part. Release me._

Loki shook his head. She was strong. And quick-witted. Given the situation, he would have thought of the same way to talk his way out. Mischief was his specialty, and she was playing in the wading pool. He had long ago moved to the ocean.

"As tempting as your offer sounds," he began, choosing his words carefully, "I have no guarantee that you will not attempt to flee. It would seem we are at an impasse, as neither can truly trust the other to keep their word. As for what I wish from you... I do not wish anything. I only wish to help. To show you the true extent of your great power. You are, after all, far mightier than you know."

It was the first time in a long time that he had spoken the truth. Lies were easier to digest. Lies were better than the reality he faced. He only revealed truth to special people, and this Paige – this telepath – was special. More like him than she wanted to admit. Prone to mischief, he could tell. How else would he have found her?

* * *

/ /

* * *

Panting, Drake nearly collapsed in front of Stark Tower. He was very out of shape, but that wouldn't stop him from trying to save the one he loved.

"Please!" he pounded furiously on the front doors with what strength he had left. "You have to help me. She's one of you... she's one of you."

Brooke hung upside-down from the flagpole above him and studied him hard. Drake, she thought, because her mind told her that was his name. Like a dragon, but sad. A sad, sad dragon who needed help.

"They hear, but don't listen," she offered her advice. Lines and arrows had brought her here, and they hadn't listened yet. They would, she knew, but they were slow. Dragon needed fast. Needed help now. She waited for him to answer.

Drake looked up to see a woman hanging upside-down, like a bat, from the flagpole. "Are you one of The Avengers? Please, you have to help me. My girlfriend... she's been kidnapped. Here, I found this at the scene." Drake held up a shimmering piece of cloak. "Don't tell me to go to the police. They won't do anything. She's not... like them. She's like you. All of you. She's... different. Please."

Brooke brought her hands up to the pole, swung her legs off, and dropped easily to the concrete twelve feet below her. A single combat roll took care of her extra momentum, and she landed up on her feet, inches from Dragon. Dragon was definitely bigger.

"Dragon needs help?" She tilted her head to one side, sizing him up.

Drake blinked at the woman. Maybe she was part animal after all. "Yes. That's what I've been _trying_ to tell you. I need your _help_!"

Brooke eyed him again, then stepped to a large cold air exchange vent on the outside of the building. She mumbled some numbers, then walked back to Dragon. She put a flat palm on the outside of each of his shoulders, then removed them to study the distance. She nodded. "Going to be close."

She smiled at him, wanly, then dashed back to the vent and pulled it open. One beckoning motion to the boy on the sidewalk. "Come on, Dragon."

And then she disappeared into the air ventilation system.

Drake watched in awe as the woman disappeared into the vent. "Can't we just use the front door?" He walked over to the vent and peered inside. "And why do you keep calling me 'Dragon'? Because of my shirt? My name is Drake."

He looked around, nervous to be breaking and entering, but followed his guide. If it would get him to The Avengers, he would do it.

The vent was small and cramped, but he fit. "How do you plan to go up thirty floors? Mr. Stark lives on the top floor. And isn't this place supposed to be riddle with tech? Isn't the robot butler guy gonna report us?"

"Jar-jar's my friend," Brooke sing-songed, referring to the computerized butler. "Up and in, Tony doesn't like to walk." She half army crawled, half shimmied to a metal plate on the side of the ventilation shaft and studied it. "Drake. Dragon. Same boy, still sad."

"Jar-Jar?" Drake questioned, continuing to follow the mysterious woman. He got stuck in the vent every so often, because of his large size, and had to squirm to get himself free. "And, yes." He sighed with frustration. "I'm sad. The woman I love was kidnapped. I have to go speak to Mr. Stark."

Brooke beat a single flat palm against the middle of the plate, and it gave way and fell back toward her. She painstakingly pushed it aside. On the other side sat a dumbwaiter, just large enough for two people to squeeze into.

Drake watched in awe as the dumbwaiter revealed itself. Obviously, this woman had done this before. "You're never gonna cease to amaze me, are you? Hey, what's your name, anyway?" He squeezed himself into the small space of the lift, and tried his best not to crush the small woman next to him. All at once, he wondered how Thor must feel being in this building with its small and cramped elevators.

"Brooke." She flattened herself against one wall and pressed the single button on the side of the wall. Up. The dumbwaiter creaked, a little, but moved. Pretty fast. Seconds later, something dinged, and the sliding door opened.

Thor smiled in at her, and hid his confused expression about the boy. He reached for her hands and pulled her out. "Stark, the tiny human has returned!" he called.

Brooke wrapped her small arms around his middle and squeezed tightly. "Lightning!"

He laughed and hugged her in return.

Brooke thought to Dragon. Help. He needed help. Had to concentrate. Had to complete the mission. But, hugs. She liked hugs. Most people too afraid to hug her. Lightning not one.

Drake was a bit shocked to see Thor staring back at him from outside the lift. But, the giant god was quickly amused with the small guide next to him, giving Drake enough time to climb out of the dumbwaiter and sneak around him. Good. He wasn't a fan of being crushed by large mythical giants, anyway.

Seeing his chance to finally get help, Drake headed straight for Tony Stark.

"Mr. Stark, I need to speak with you," he hurriedly began. "I know your time is precious, so I'll only take thirty seconds of it. Last night my girlfriend was abducted from her home. Before you tell me to go to the police, hear me out. She's a telepath. We were part of AVCORP's top secret military experimentation program. They did things to our minds that we will never know about. When we escaped and returned home, that's when her telepathy began. She was going to come to you for help yesterday, but I convinced her not to. Last night, someone broke in and kidnapped her from her second-floor bedroom. Her house has vaulted ceilings. It's like she lives on the third floor. I know whoever took her stole her for her abilities. He left this behind." Drake tossed the piece of shimmering green cloth down on the counter. "Please, Mr. Stark... I know you're busy, but I have no one else to turn to. It's not like she's some kid off the streets. She's one of you."

Thor managed to pry Brooke from his abdomen and instead clung to her hand and towed her across the room. To Stark. "Man of Iron, I have heard this tale from the tiny one and I believe their plight is a worthy cause." He nodded once, definitive.

Brooke smiled. Lightning had made up his mind. Besides, if Tony wouldn't help, Patriot would. Patriot understood experimenting. Beasty too. Experimenting was never good. Brooke shuddered, remembering glass in her mind. No experiments. Never again.

An arrow shot across the room, at her head, and Brooke caught it midair. She smiled at the quiet Hawk who always tested her mind. He understood, too. Understood her mind could do anything. Her mind, her superpower. But not an Avenger. Aliens were too boring.

Drake gasped as an arrow shot past his head. He quickly ducked and scrambled up against a nearby wall. He wasn't used to this. He was just a geeky kid who sat behind a computer all day. Where was Batman when he needed him? _He_ would understand, being a recluse himself. Surely the calm of the Bat Cave was preferable to the chaos of Stark Tower.

"Is one of you going to help me?" Drake finally stammered out. "I have to find Paige before something bad happens to her."

Brooke dropped the arrow to the floor and looked up at Thor earnestly. "Dragon needs help. You help people."

Thor nodded again, then turned sorrowful eyes to Drake. "I believe your story. Truly. Though it is difficult to hear that Loki has returned to Midgard, it is not impossible. However, we must remain safe, and you know this. We will discover Loki's presence before we move forward. Is this agreeable?"

"Loki?! Loki kidnapped my girlfriend?" Drake was nearly beside himself. The pain was made all the worse by Thor's reply. For the safety of all, they would sacrifice one. Sure, they would find Loki eventually, but it would be too late. Paige would either be killed or brainwashed by then. "You didn't know her."

Drake made his way to the real elevator, and turned to look at Brooke as he waited for the car to arrive. "Thanks for all your help, Brooke. Make sure the heroes keep their promise." His voice was soft and despondent, nearly inaudible as he tried to hold back his tears. The elevator dinged and Drake stepped inside. "I'll show myself out, thanks."

The doors closed and the car made its descent toward the ground floor. Drake took this opportunity to shed a few tears.

* * *

/ /

* * *

Paige sighed. This was getting nowhere fast. _I'm not "mighty", your highness. Nothing of the sort. I'm a peasant among my own people. An overseer of a dying art. …I know your ways, Prince Loki of Asgard. You want something from me, you just aren't telling me what. I do believe you wish to hone my power, but probably for your own benefit. Whatever you're planning, I refuse to participate willingly. Oh, and this is for refusing to release me._

Before Paige finished her thought, the end of Loki's cape came hurling up behind him and wrapped around his face, hopefully disorienting him for a moment. At the same instant, a band of telepathic energy wrapped around his ankles, ensuring his impact with the stone floor.

Paige wanted this Asgardian prince to know whom he was messing with. He might overtake her in the end, but for now... she would give him one heck of a fight.

Loki reached up a hand to swipe away the cape and tried to step forward, but something entangled his feet, and he fell to the stone, hard. It let go. He scrambled to his feet again and the spear appeared in his hand, forming with green light from the floor to the tip of the scepter.

But, that was what she had wanted all along, wasn't it?

Loki closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and flicked a hand to make the spear disappear again. A trick his mother had long ago taught him, an easy way to store heavy burdens. He tried to push the thoughts of her aside by reminding himself she had never been his biological mother. The thoughts wouldn't leave. Frigga had been his mother in every aspect but blood.

"You play at mischief, little mortal, but I was born into it. Trickery surrounding me all my days. If this is how you wish it to be, so be it. However, even I do not desire to see my tricks at their worst." Anger was, he knew, one of his downfalls. Too much temper, not enough control. If only the telepath would understand, then maybe he would have the will to control it. He tried his best to push past his fury. "I have known too many lies in my past to be blind to the half-truths you wish to tell now."

Paige gasped softly as she watched his spear appear in his hand. As much as she wanted to get him at his own game, she was powerless against his spear. She sighed in relief as it disappeared again.

 _I'm not lying to you, Your Highness. Ask anyone who knows me: I'm usually as calm as a butterfly. However, you have brought all this upon yourself. If you acted civilly to begin with, we wouldn't be in this situation. Do you think just because you're a magical god, you can kidnap women at random? Hmph! I will not stop fighting you until we come to civil terms. I..._ Paige trailed off as a large, stress-induced migraine started in the back of her head. It slowly crept forward until her whole head felt as if it was going to explode. Her mouth opened, as if a cry of pain would escape her lips.

She was not used to using her abilities this much. A telepathic word or two here, a telekinetically opened door there, but never anything of this magnitude or duration. The overuse of her powers had brought on the pain. She let her head drop forward, as the pain came in waves.

 _I'm afraid we'll... have to continue... this conversation later... Your Highness._ Paige managed to broadcast between the bursts of pain.

He saw the pain on her face and knew she would never tell him how much it hurt. He had forced her to stretch the muscle too far this time. He watched her tense, the pain wracking her. Without a second thought, Loki dashed to her side, uncharmed a single wrist restraint, and released her arm from it.

"My apologies, fair maiden. I meant not to cause such pain." He couldn't resist. He reached a single finger to touch where her vocal chords should have been. "I can restore them, if you wish it so. I shan't do anything without your approval." He backed up quickly, lest he say something or do something he would sorely regret later.

He could barely stand the silence. Silence so loud that it almost screamed in his head. As though Paige was silently screaming out and no one was listening. If only he knew a charm to silence her pain.

As soon as her hand was free, Paige grabbed her head in a vain attempt to stop the pain. Tears formed in her eyes and began to stream down her cheeks.

 _Not... your fault..._ Paige thrashed her head back against the back of the chair. She opened her mouth again, a small squeak managing to rise to the surface. She was screaming. She felt as he touched her throat. His fingers were so cold. _No... leave it be... heal this..._ She gently grabbed his hand and pressed his fingers against her right temple. The coolness of his touch helped to ease the pain, but nowhere near end it.

She hadn't felt this much pain since the AVCORP project. She could still hear the whirring of the scientists' drill as it bore its way into her spinal cord.

 _Help... me..._

With each broadcast, Paige's inner voice faded as the pain intensified. Now, her mental cries were little more than echoes of whispers. She finally decided against broadcasting any further, lest she die from the pain.

Another squeak escaped her gaping mouth, this one louder and longer. She was in total agony.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey all! Hope you're enjoying this so far. Just a quick note to say that, in this chapter, there is a flashback, which is denoted by BOLD wording. Okay? Okay. Have fun reading!**

* * *

Loki realized she was fading fast, and he wished he could do something about it. She wished for him to heal her, to end the pain. If only he could do so. Her skin was hot beneath his cool fingers, as if something evil raged through her veins and wouldn't let go. Her small squeaks he knew to be screams.

He couldn't fathom what could be behind her horrible, horrible ordeal. He hadn't listened well enough in times past. He hadn't heard the story behind the power. There had to be one.

"Paige," he tried out her name for the first time, and it felt good rolling off his tongue. "I cannot heal you without knowing the source of this. Please, tell me." Despite her earlier warnings, he slid his hand to cradle the back of her neck. What more could he possibly do?

Paige gazed into his eyes, only half seeing him. Her vision clouded with pain. She wanted to reply to him, but didn't want to risk the headache getting any worse. The only thing she could do was sign.

METAL CREATURE. IMPLANT. HURTS. HELP ME.

And then she felt it, ice cold against the back of her neck. Visions of the experiment flitted through her mind. The metallic ring. The metal bed. The drill. The creature. She could feel the cold ring pressed close against the back of her neck.

* * *

" **Paige, we're ready for you."**

 **Paige looked up from the book she was reading and locked eyes with the white-coated woman at the waiting room door. She had short brown hair, the same color as Paige's, and wore a pleasant smile.**

" **Come here, baby." Paige's mother wrapped her in a hug. "If you need anything, let me know, and I'll be here as quick as a flash. I'll call you once a week."**

 **Paige nodded and returned the hug. She made the sign for** _ **I love you.**_

" **I love you, too." Her mother planted a kiss on her forehead and handed Paige her purple suitcase. "Be safe."**

 **Paige nodded and walked to the door where the doctor stood. With a final wave goodbye, she turned toward the bright hallway and let the door close behind her.**

" **Your mother seems sweet."**

 **Paige could only nod in reply.**

" **How long have you been mute, Paige?"**

 **She hated that term. Mute. As if someone had pressed a button on a remote and silenced her. She held up six fingers.**

" **Since you were six?"**

 **Paige nodded.**

" **Wow. That's a long time. You seem like a strong woman, to deal with that for so long."**

 **Paige gave one nod, acknowledging the compliment.**

" **Well, my name is Dr. Samantha Brooks. Nice to meet you."**

 **Paige shook the doctor's hand.**

" **Your strength is something very important to this experiment. Do you feel up to it?"**

 **Paige gave a confident grin. All she had to do was let a couple doctors run a few scans and tests on her brain, and she was a grand richer. Piece of cake.**

" **I'll take that as a 'yes'. Come this way."**

 **The doctor grabbed an ID badge from where it was clipped to her belt and slid it through a card reader on the wall. Soon, a hissing sound escaped from the wall, and a hidden door opened. Paige followed the doctor into the examination room.**

 **Against one wall, a metal examination table was set vertically, with straps hanging from the sides. Paige froze, staring at it. A single metal half-ring sat on a metal table next to it. Everything in the room was cold and metallic. Unfeeling. That should have been her first warning to run. She ignored her instincts, frozen with fear and passivity.**

" **Here. Go in that little room there and change into this hospital gown," Dr. Brooks said, capturing Paige's attention yet again, and handing her a sack of cloth. "There's a shelf in there for your personal belongings."**

 **Paige walked toward a little nook in the wall, where only a curtain separated her from the flock of medical personnel. She pulled the curtain, set her suitcase on the shelf, and quickly changed clothes. The floor was so cold to her tiny bare feet.**

 **When she was finished, she pulled the curtain back again, staring at the metallic table across the room. She was only supposed to be getting a brain scan. They told her all they were going to do was test her brain. Maybe the half-ring was just a scanner. A new type of scanner.**

" **It's alright, Paige." Dr. Brooks' voice was so soft and comforting. "You don't have to be afraid. It's just a quick test. You'll be asleep the whole time. And I'll be right here with you. Come on." The doctor beckoned her forward. Against every instinct to flee, Paige walked to the table. She stood against the metal, the cold piercing her back. She allowed them to strap down her arms and legs.**

 _ **Wait. I need my hands to speak. Why the straps? What are you doing?**_

 **But no one heard her. Her thoughts were her own. She looked up at the kind doctor, confused.**

" **Now we can begin."**

 **Paige felt as one of the technicians injected her arm with some sort of fluid. It burned at first and made her head swim.**

" **That was a mild sedative. It'll help with the pain," Dr. Brooks continued. "Just relax."**

 **Paige watched as Dr. Brooks picked up the metal piece. She gently lifted Paige's head and placed it on the back of her neck. She could hear the device powering up.**

 _ **Wait. I change my mind. Let me out.**_ **Paige began to pull at the straps, trying to break free.**

" **It's alright, Paige." The doctor laid a hand on Paige's arm. "Just a tiny pinch."**

 **Paige's eyes widened as a pain began on the back of her neck. It felt as though someone was slicing the the back of her neck open with a searing blade. In actuality, a laser was slicing her skin. She opened her mouth as if a scream would escape.**

" **Good. Just a bit of pressure now."**

 **That's when she heard it. The drill.**

 **A small squeak emitted from her throat as the device began to bore its way into one of her vertebrae. She felt a warm liquid begin to run down her back. Blood and spinal fluid. In a last-ditch plea for mercy, she weakly began to sign.**

 **S-T-O-P**

 **Over and over again, as her squeaking screams rose in volume, she signed: STOP.**

 **And then the drill stopped. She felt as something latched onto the inside of her bone.**

" **We're almost done, Paige." The doctor's voice was distant and warped.**

 **She felt as the device released something into her nervous system. It was as if a metallic spider had latched onto her nerves, slowly crawling up the rope of fire in the back of her neck, and nearly causing her to leap from the table with pain. She thrashed wildly, even with the sedative.**

 **Another shot in her arm forced her muscles to relax. The thing was attached to her nerves and creeping its way into her brain.**

 **One last sign.**

 _ **P-L-E-A-S-E**_

 **And then the device gripped the back of her brain, digging its claws in. A surge of pain, and then darkness. A calm and cool darkness, where nothing existed.**

" **Goodnight, Paige. Dream well."**

 **The darkness pulled her under.**

* * *

With a strong blast of telekinetic energy, Paige shoved Loki backward. The pain in her head intensified, forcing another squeaking scream from her lips. When she regained her senses, she stared at him, eyes wide with terror, as her mind continued to flit through images of the implantation. Suddenly, everything began to make sense. The headaches. The restraints. The coolness of his touch. The sensations were bleeding through over the illusion.

He wasn't real. He never had been. Perhaps the demi-god who killed her father was real, but this phony copy was only a dream, created by the scientists.

AVCORP had captured her again. She had stolen their device, and they wanted it back. Why not give her mind peace as they ripped her secrets from it? After all, the island was supposed to have been a distraction. But, too many people had too many opinions. The device was supposed to adapt to each person's personality, but the stressful situation of the island created too many variables. Now, the scientists had to be singling out their guinea pigs, one by one, to finish the tests and terminate them. A peaceful dream about a handsome prince would keep Paige occupied as they slowly killed her.

She remembered the horrible headaches she experienced on the island whenever she remembered AVCORP. The headaches were designed to make her forget.

Paige let her head fall back against the back of the chair, her free hand pressed to the side of her head. The pain was still intense. These headaches, she thought, were also designed to make her forget. But, she refused to let them win. As long as she knew she was dreaming, she had the upper hand. She could control it.

Paige looked down at her bound wrist and began tugging on the straps with her free hand. They didn't budge. She willed them to open. She knew about the dream. She should be able to control it. Why wouldn't the straps open?

She let her head fall back again, exhausted, and let her hand fall into her lap. She was scared, confused, and still had her pounding headache.

There was nothing she could do. The scientists had her completely at their mercy, with her trapped in her own subconscious. She closed her eyes, wishing for real sleep to come. She willed the calm darkness to envelope her again, making her forget the pain.

The telekinetic blast he hadn't seen coming knocked Loki off balance and he fell to the floor. He scrambled to kneel in front of her as he saw her fingers move a million miles a minute, but was at a loss to understand what she might be trying to say. So, instead, he turned his attention to what she was thinking. Reading minds often became a helpful tool.

He saw the petty doctors, there only for money and power. He saw the cold metal and the horrible, horrible drill. He heard her silent screaming. Her helpless, silent torment. And he heard that she didn't believe he was real. He held back a smirk when she called him handsome. Maybe allowing her to learn he read minds as well wouldn't be the best idea right now.

He frowned when she began to tug at the restraints. How to convince one so blinded that he was, indeed, real.

He started by releasing her second hand himself. One slender finger at a time, he pulled the strap from its resting place and let it hang open. Her calm, still face unnerved him. He waited for her to do something violent, something that would convince her fully that he was indeed unreal. Against his better judgment, Loki remained silent.

Paige felt as he released her hand, only helping to confirm her fears. She did have control over the dream. She wanted to be released and she was. All hope seemed to fade away as the strap hung open. It didn't matter if he released her. The worst prison was to be contained forevermore inside oneself. She let her hand rest where it was, not caring that she could not move it.

She opened her eyes and gazed sadly at the prince in front of her. If only he was real. She would rather be captured by a psychotic medieval villain a thousand times over than subjected to the false world of AVCORP. All she could do was play along with their cruel game, as death silently lurked around every corner.

 _At least fix my headache. Allow me that relief. Steal my mind, kill my soul... but at least have pity enough to end the pain._ Paige winced as the sharp pain in the back of her head momentarily grew worse as she weakly broadcast the message.

She reached down and took his left hand in both of hers, finally welcoming the comfort he'd been trying to give her all along.

Loki wanted to heal her pain. So terribly badly. But he couldn't. He hadn't stopped reading her thoughts. He knew that she wished for him to end it, and he knew if he did he would play into her fear that she was inside her own head. Which, she most definitely was not. So, as much as it pained him, Loki removed his hand and shook his head. "What do I have to do to convince you, my beautiful telepath?"

He took her hand in his own for a brief moment. If they were to remain here, if he were to help her, there were a few things he needed to accomplish. He released her slender fingers and turned for the door. He would explain later, after he had secured their privacy.

He paused outside the door to lean his head back against it, feeling absolutely evil for leaving her in that state. But, he would return. And she _would_ still be there when he did.

Paige watched, helplessly, as he stood and left the room. She sighed and laid her head back. Great. Just great. They were on to her. They knew that she knew and removed her one comfort. Sick monsters.

 _Is this what you want?_ She broadcast, trying her best to ignore the pain. _There is nothing more I can do to you! Is this payback? Your revenge? Bait me with a prince, and then steal him away?_ She let her head hang forward again as a new flow of tears threatened to well up behind her eyes. _Take it! You want the metallic monster so badly? Take it! Take everything! Can't you hear me? Take it and end this!_

She reached up and gripped the hair on the back of her head, sobs wracking her body yet again, as her migraine thundered through her skull.

* * *

/

* * *

Within an hour, Drake arrived back at Paige's house. He had no idea what he would say to her mother. All he could do was tell the truth. When he knocked, Mrs. Barnett quickly answered the door.

"Did you find her?"

"Actually, Mrs. Barnett, I have some bad news. You might want to sit down."

Mrs. Barnett backed away from the front door until she bumped into a nearby bar stool. She climbed onto it, her eyes never leaving Drake's face.

Drake walked in and closed the door behind him. He leaned against the kitchen wall as he told her the story. "This morning, when I went upstairs, I found a piece of green cloth stuck in Paige's window. When I ran off in such a hurry, I ran to Stark Tower. I thought The Avengers would help us find her, since Paige is like them. I met Thor. He told me the cloth belonged to Loki and that they would track him for a while before they find him. Loki kidnapped Paige."

Mrs. Barnett shook her head in disbelief. "You are one heck of a liar, Drake Kier. Blaming my daughter's disappearance on a myth. Thor took care of that monster after the attack on the city. He's gone. I don't know what you're up to, but don't you come here telling me stories." The angry mother stood. "Get out."

"But, Mrs. Barnett..."

"Get out!"

Drake quickly fled the house before he made the situation worse. He walked the few city blocks back to his apartment. What a terrible day this had been. He unlocked his door and flopped down on his sofa. All he could think about was Paige.


	4. Chapter 4

It took longer than expected to find the store he had wished to find, and he hated it that he hadn't thought of this earlier. Usually, when he chose to charm someone, he went all-out. He didn't understand why Paige was any different. Somehow, though, she was. He needed her to believe in his reality. Needed her to see that she could be powerful, and that there was no need to fear.

He quickly transformed into his street clothes. A suit, a houndstooth scarf. No need to look like a peasant, even if he walked among them.

"Hi! Welcome to Best Buy, how can I help you?" A bubbly blonde – not nearly as pretty as his telepath – greeted him.

Loki cleared his throat and tossed her his most beguiling smile. "I am in need of a device to play a musical disc upon."

"Um, okay..." She squinted and then bit her lip. "So, you mean a CD player, right?"

"Yes. Show me where I might find this... CD player," Loki instructed. The Blonde stared at him like he had brought home a three-headed Bilchsteim and turned to lead him to the electronics section.

Ten minutes the diminutive blonde woman spoke on the merits of one player versus another. _Ten minutes_! Loki grew tired of her drabble, but kept his smile plastered to his face. He could tell it was working. She would not be suspicious of his presence. All according to plan.

He chose the player that he deemed "easiest to use without resorting to magic" and scooped the package into his arms. "As I am already here, what can you tell me of this electronic mail that I hear so much about?"

"You don't have email?" The girl blinked like she had heard something utterly preposterous. "Oh my gosh! Let me help you, buddy."

Against his better judgment, Loki followed her to a small electronic device in the back corner of the store. She woke it with a single swipe of her finger, and he wondered if this was a new kind of magic. "We have an email set up for guests, in case we need to demonstrate something," she explained.

Loki only understood half of what she said, but retained enough to help him later.

"Wanna try?"

He smirked and juggled the box in his hands. "If you would be so kind as to compose this letter for me, I would rather just watch."

"Oh. Okay." She did something that made the screen turn a different color. "Who is this going to?"

"Thor, care of Anthony Stark."

The way she almost choked made him chuckle. He supposed it wasn't often she heard that sentence. "Th-Thor? Via Stark?" Her jaw moved, grasping for words but finding none. "You _know_ them?"

"Oh, yes. Mister Stark and Thor are _dear_ friends of mine."

She shrugged and typed in an address that was probably something along the lines of "Tony dot Stark at Stark Industries dot net" or something like that. "What would you like to say?"

"The girl is fine. I always could tell when you were following me. Stop it now. I will not harm her, as you seem to think I shall. You know who this is."

She choked again, and this time she looked scared.

Loki smirked. "Just a bit of mischief."

* * *

/

* * *

Paige sat in total silence for a while, letting her tears die away. Once again, her cries had gone unheard. She half-expected the Asgardian prince to come sauntering through the door any moment, but an hour passed and still nothing.

Bored, afraid, and lonely, she finally decided to look for her iPod. She had taken it with her to the park, so maybe it had survived her trip to the fictional world of the dream. She rummaged through her pockets, finally pulling the blue device up by the earphones. It had half a battery left. Within moments, the buds were in her ears and soft Celtic music helped to ease the pain in her head. She sighed with relief and closed her eyes.

Paige was nearly asleep when her iPod died. The new silence only served to wake her fully. Nearly two hours had passed since her prince had rushed from the room.

She stretched and sat up straight, her headache nearly gone now. She supposed that all she needed to do was calm down.

As she sat with her legs still strapped to the chair, Paige looked around the stone room. The floor, the walls, and the large, high ceiling were all made of grey stone, like the castle of old. This castle, however, had modern upgrades. Floor lamps were placed in the corners closest to her, and a large, yet dim, chandelier hung from the ceiling. The room had seemed bright when she first awoke because the window across from her. It was hung with beautiful golden curtains that gave the room most of its light. She supposed that the sun had been rising when she woke, which caused the brightness. Now, the sun was well on its way up into the sky, and Paige could see through the golden haze of the curtains the blue and green of scenery outside. In front of her, a large golden canopied bed had its curtains drawn back, allowing her to see the beautiful silver and gold bedspread. The prince had definitely gone out of his way to furnish her room.

She shifted in her chair the best she could and looked to her side. There, on a small golden table, sat her _Robin Hood_ book. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands, remembering her books in the AVCORP dream. Even with all of their attention in detail, the doctors did not waste time in reading fictional stories. Her books on the island were filled with nonsense words, giving the appearance of actual books, but without the content of a story. In the dream, it had fooled her. But, now she knew their game.

Paige immediately opened the book to a random page and began reading, expecting to see random words littering the page. Instead, she turned to a scene where Robin was battling Little John before he had joined their merry band. She read the scene over and over, word for word, and sat bewildered at the story.

Reality began to dawn on her. The way time moved here paralleled reality. She had never been bored on the island. Time had seemed to skip around and shift as it did only in dreams, allowing her to be constantly busy doing something. That was how the dream worked. Keep the patients busy, allow the device to adapt to their personalities, and then commence with the experiment. But, there was nothing for her to do here. Nothing that currently required her to be busy or use her powers.

Paige flipped the book open again and let the pages fan through her fingers. All the words were there in the correct order. Time was of itself. AVCORP did not have her. This was real.

She gasped and quickly put the book back onto the table. This was real. Prince Loki of Asgard had captured her, and this was very real. He had left to go who-knew-where and was eventually going to come back for her. Everything was real, and she realized she was in very real danger.

* * *

/

* * *

After four hours of running to and fro over the entirety of the current Midgardian city, Loki returned to his fortress and breathed a little bit easier. His brother could not trace his message, and the blonde woman at the store would not be able to tell anyone where the strange man had gone. He had been sure not to tell her anything.

Loki rested a hand on the doorknob and realized it was far too quiet for his liking. She had nothing to say? Or she planned to attack? He threw up a protective barrier around the outside of the door, ensuring she could not escape if it was the latter. He sighed and hoped she wouldn't try anything rash. He hid the CD player with his staff.

Then he opened the door and stepped in.

Paige heard the doorknob turn and looked up from her book. Reading was far better than sitting in bored silence.

There was her prince. He looked nervous, and rightfully so. She had knocked him to the ground twice already. If he tried anything funny, he would return there again.

 _I'm sorry for my actions earlier._ She turned the page of her book, continuing to skim over the words. _I get that way sometimes, because of... an incident... I went through a few years ago. It won't happen again._ She turned another page. _Where'd you go? First you kidnap me, and then you leave me to starve. You've been gone for hours. I do appreciate you freeing my hands, though, and the book you stole with me. It's helped to pass the time._

She lightly licked the tip of her index finger and turned another page, seemingly uninterested in the fact that a great prince stood before her.

Loki waited until she looked back to her book to smile. Reading was far better than attacking. She had somehow decided to submit to the reality that surrounded her. He waved his hands before him and the CD player appeared. Another flick of his wrist brought his new favorite disc of music into his hands.

"I left to retrieve these," he explained. He set both on a nearby table and quickly dismantled the box from around the player. He plugged it into a nearby electrical socket, one of the few things he could do without using his magic on Midgard. He did as the blonde woman had instructed and brought it to rest on his favorite song. He pressed play.

Loki strode across the room easily and held his hand out to the impish woman before him. "Would you allow me the honor of this dance?"

Paige looked up from her book and smirked. _I'd be honored._ She set her book down on the table next to her. _But, you have to do something for me first._ She gazed into his eyes, her own flashing with innocent mischief. _You never released my legs from the chair._

Loki returned her smile of mischief and flicked a wrist to uncharm her leg restraints. The straps fell off easily after that. He leaned a little closer, daring her to take him up on his offer. If she was anything near as mischievous as he thought, this could be quite fun.

Paige retained her smirk, accepting his dare, as she leaned closer to him, their faces nearly touching. She stood and accepted his hand, but quickly grabbed his arm with her free hand, trying to regain her balance after having sat for so long.

 _I'm sorry._ She broadcast with a blush. _I've been sitting too long. I'm not sure I can do any dancing right now._ She glanced away from him. _It was a lovely thought, though. And this song is beautiful. Perhaps give me a moment to walk around the room?_

She looked back at him and smiled up into his beautiful green eyes, impressed by his attempts to woo her. If only she hadn't been so weak. Her hunger didn't help matter. She hadn't eaten a thing since noon the previous day, and it was beginning to effect her.

Loki smiled back at her and wrapped one arm tightly around her waist. He held her other hand lightly upon his own. "I will not allow you to stumble, little telepath. One can regain their equilibrium just as easily dancing as they can walking."

And he spun her in the first step of what could be a very successful dance.

Paige allowed him to lead her in the dance and quickly regained her footing. Muscle memory instantly kicked in as she remember those hours of dance classes her mother had forced her into.

Her parents had enrolled her in every extracurricular activity they could think of in a vain attempt to overcompensate for her loss of speech. They thought that by exposing her to the arts, she would find some other means to express herself. Her two loves had quickly become reading and playing the violin. However, the hours she had spent dancing had suddenly not gone to waste.

She felt weightless as she spun in his arms. Dancing was quite a lot like flying, but while one's feet remained on the floor.

 _My name is Paige,_ she broadcast, her inner voice full of laughter, _and I think you know that. Please refer to me as such... Your Highness._

Her eyes flashed with mischief again as they caught a glimpse of his. Her taunts were mere playfulness. For a kidnapper and captor, the prince sure did know how to have fun.

She wasn't a half-bad dancer. Certainly passable, by Asgardian standards. And the way she felt weightless in his arms... Oh, it sent shivers through his spine. Was it possible for one lonely Midgardian to feel so perfect in his arms?

"Of course I know your name," he chuckled. "I've known for a very long time now. You broadcast more than you know."

He left it at that. It was more of a half-truth than a lie, and she deserved to know that she was capable of more than just a sentence or two here and there. He twirled her into another step, the lyrical sound of piano and violins floating through the room like a cool breeze.

Paige blushed. How much had she broadcast? _Oh, gosh. I'm sorry. How much did you hear? You didn't see those horrible memories earlier, did you? Of... the incident?_ She was totally embarrassed. Here she was, gushing all of her thoughts all over the place, and to one so high and noble. He must have thought she was a freak. It's what everyone else thought.

As the current song ended, she came to rest against his chest, and blushed again. He was being so kind to her, and she desperately wanted to know why. But, before she could think of broadcasting another message, a new song began.

 _I heard your voice on the wind_

 _And I heard you call our my name..._

Paige smiled. She knew the song well. If she ever regained her speech, this would be the first song she'd learn how to sing. _I love this song. It's one of my favorites. Did I broadcast that, too, or is this just a wonderful coincidence?_ A smirk played at the corners of her lips as they began to dance again.

 _Listen, my child, you say to me,_

 _I am the voice of your history,_

 _Be not afraid, come follow me,_

 _Answer my call, and I'll set you free..._

The tempo increased and so did their dance. Flying and dancing faster and faster, making her forget her fears and her questions.

He was too kind. Too romantic. Too... perfect to ever want to hurt her. She remembered he'd sworn on his life that he would never harm her. And quite a long life that would be, if he ever had to live with the guilt of a broken promise.

 _I am the voice of the past that will always be,_

 _Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields,_

 _I am the voice of the future_

 _Bring me your peace,_

 _Bring me your peace and my wounds, they will heal..._

The song matched them perfectly, and was definitely intentional. She didn't need to read his mind to know what he was thinking. The lyrics said everything. He had brought her into his home to set her free from the standards and labels society had put on her. She realized he didn't think she was a freak, either. She was special, and he had seen that.

She looked up into his eyes and saw the pain he hid behind them. No other human was like her, and that's why he'd taken her. She could understand pain the way no other human could. She knew what it was like to be tortured. And now, as the lyrics had so beautifully state, she was to be his peace.

The song ended in the abrupt manner she was used to, and she found herself pressed against his chest again. She could feel its gentle rise and fall that matched her own soft panting.

 _Thank you._ She broadcast softly, smiling up at him. _That was wonderful._

Loki lifted her chin and smiled down at her. "There is no need to feel embarrassment," he said aloud. Inside, he felt his cold heart warm to the fact that she had thanked him. Him, of all people. The gratitude felt good. Too good.

As quickly as he dared without raising suspicions, Loki released her and took a step back. "You must be famished. I shall conjure a meal from someplace. Please, do explore. I think you'll find the wardrobe quite to your liking." He ran a finger down her jawline.

 _Of course, your highness._ Paige held back a shudder as she felt him run his fingers down her face. Just because she danced with him didn't mean she belonged to him.

She gave a small curtsy and turned toward what she assumed was the closet, not bothering to watch as he left. She wouldn't have cared if he didn't come back all evening, except for the fact that she was starving.

Loki couldn't help the smile that played at his lips. So beautiful. So perfect. He hated to leave her alone again.

But he did.

* * *

/

* * *

Paige opened a nearby door and found a small lavatory. Inside, she found a shelf with everything she needed: a brush, a toothbrush and toothpaste still in their boxes, as well as other unopened hygiene products. It was obvious that he had planned for her to be staying with him for quite a while.

Paige stepped to another door and found a large closet. She quickly flipped on the light to reveal a heaven full of everything she could ever want to wear. From one side hung modern attire: jeans, shirts, and modern dresses. But, the other side looked like the wardrobe of a princess. Medieval and Renaissance style gowns hung from hangers along the right wall. In front of her, a wide selection of ribbons and belts covered the walls. Unsure what to wear first, Paige closed her eyes and chose at random. Upon opening her eyes, she found a beautiful yet plain white Renaissance gown, which she paired with a blue belt and sweepingly long covering-jacket.

She dashed off to the lavatory to change. As she stood in front of the mirror, admiring the look of the fabric on her figure, she began to remember the story of _Alice in Wonderland_. In the story, little Alice fell down a rabbit hole into a world of mystery and magic. Instead of embracing the wonderful chance she was given, she questioned everything.

Paige sighed as she realized she was quickly becoming like Alice. She had done nothing but question Loki's motives and actions since her arrival. Like Alice, her instincts told her that something must be amiss for this world to be so perfect.

 _Why? Why must there be some other reason for his actions? Because he's a psychotic criminal? Ya know what? I don't care!_ She told herself as she pulled the brush through her hair. _For years I've hated Alice for her stubbornness. Just accept the dark world for what it is. Well, I'll follow my own advice. I'll accept the darn world for what it is. And if the god of mischief wants a princess..._ She smirked, her eyes reflecting their sparkle back to themselves. _Then I will give him the best darn princess I can be._

She quickly braided a small part of her hair that fell down her back, over the rest of her hair. It was simple yet elegant, perfect for her style.

With one last look in the mirror, Paige gave a confident smile. She would accept whatever the prince had to offer, while still remaining true to her own self and values. She wouldn't let him take whatever he wanted from her. Oh, no. He would have to earn it. And she would tell him so herself.

She walked back over to her chair, choosing to read while she waited for him to return. That, and she wanted to hide her appearance behind the great book until she was ready for him to see her. He could believe he had the upper hand all he wanted, but she had her own mischievous plans up her sleeve.


	5. Chapter 5

Loki couldn't believe how hard it was to find a decent Asgardian-esque meal on Midgard, but he had done it. The bags he had carried back to the fortress included such things as pheasant, quail, plumb pudding, pies, and apples (one of his personal favorite treats). He had, of course, transferred the meals from their idiotic plastic containers to _real_ dinnerware.

Now, as he stood yet again outside of his telepath's door, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. What if she didn't like anything he had brought? What would he do then? Force her to eat it? That surely would not endear him to her.

He was a ruler, for Odin's sake! What was he doing standing there pouting like a newborn waif? He straightened his shoulders and entered without knocking. The girl sat behind a book, which seemed to be a regular accomplishment of hers. He smiled and cleared his throat to regain her attention.

Paige looked up from her book and smiled at him. _Good. You're back._ She stood, showing off her beautiful new dress. _What do you think? I figured, why wear modern attire in the presence of a prince? I thought this dress would fit the situation much better._

Loki couldn't help but smile. The ladies of the Asgardian court had nothing on the beauty before him. The dress fit her perfectly, hugging every curve and floating behind her like white silk wings.

She took a step closer to him. _Thank you for all the beautiful new clothes. I've never had so many dresses in my life._ She blushed, immediately regretting how small and dependent she sounded. _Well, anyway... What did you bring us?_

Paige crossed the room and sat down at a nice little table, just big enough for the both of them to share a meal upon.

Loki waved a hand over the table and the items he had stored in thin air appeared, perfectly placed. Good. All to his satisfaction, and all according to plan. The smell of food made even his mouth water. Paige must have been starving.

He seated himself in the second chair and tapped a finger on his knee, trying to decide what to devour first. He covertly watched the girl to be sure she didn't mind the fare. Hoped she was just similar enough in her tastes to enjoy the cuisine he adored. If so, he would bring out the real showstopper. His fingers twitched, waiting to summon the final item he had purloined.

It took everything within her not to dive right in like an animal to the food in front of her. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. But, she had to act like a lady.

Paige carefully picked up her silverware, cut a piece of the meat, and took a bite.

 _This is absolutely delicious. You must give my regards to the kitchen staff._ She glanced down and saw him nervously drumming his fingers. _Aren't I supposed to be the nervous one, your highness?_ She teased. _...Well, say something. Goodness, I don't know when I am and am not broadcasting. At least say something to let me know you're still hearing me._

"Deepest apologies." Loki silently scolded himself for not being more attentive. "I am able to hear you perfectly. The meal is to your satisfaction, then?" He quickly regained his confidence and waved a hand in the air with a flourish. A bottle of wine appeared and he flicked another wrist to reveal a long-stemmed glass. "I hope you don't mind. I appreciate a glass or two of wine with my dinner."

He popped the cork and poured himself a glass. A swish in the bottom to aerate it, and then he sipped slowly. Mm. Yes. Simply divine. Not quite as good as Asgardian wine, but as close as he was bound to get here on Midgard. He leveled his head to make eye contact with Paige.

 _The meal is wonderful._ Paige watched as he obviously made a show out of making the wine appear. He was so prone to large displays. Simple just wasn't his style.

"Where _are_ my manners?" Loki raised the bottle invitingly. "Would you care for a glass?"

Paige eyes the red liquid in the glass. She'd seen her mother drink wine many times, especially after her father had died. Her mother had gotten drunk many nights off of good bottles of wine. She herself had sworn off of it. Too much trouble for just a bit of sour juice.

But... she was so thirsty. He had planned this, hadn't he? Did he wish to get her drunk?

An image flashed through Paige's mind. A memory of the island. A memory worse than that of the drill. No. She wouldn't let him take advantage of her like that.

But... she was thirsty.

 _Um... I'm sure just_ _one_ _glass couldn't hurt._

Loki presented a secondary glass with a flourish and poured just the right amount of wine into it. He gracefully extended it in Paige's direction. She probably thought he was after something, but in truth all he wanted to do was talk. If she would allow him the pleasure. It wasn't often that he found himself wanting to get to know a beautiful young lady such as his telepath, and the wonderful meal before them presented just such an opportunity. He couldn't resist.

He waited for her to take the glass.

Paige hesitantly took the glass from him and took a sip. The cool liquid on her tongue made her only want more, but she held back and set the glass down. She remembered that she must act proper, and gulping down a whole glass of wine, despite her thirst, would not be proper.

 _Thank you. Everything is wonderful._

She ate in silence for a moment, as she tried to sort through her thoughts. Silence. She'd lived it for so long. Earlier, he said that he could heal her, and she hadn't stopped thinking about it since. What would she do if she could speak? What would she say?

 _Earlier, you said you could restore my vocal cords. How is that possible? They're deformed._ She shook her head and looked at him. _I don't know if I'd even want it. I've been this way for so long... Even if they worked, I couldn't speak._ She blushed as she finished her thought. _I don't know how._

Loki sipped his wine and settled the long stem in an empty spot on the table. "There is no need for shame. I know many Asgardian remedies that would easily rectify your ability to speak aloud. There are not many things impossible when you know the science behind them." He paused to take a bite of the pheasant before him. A little greasy, but edible nonetheless. "And I do not mind that you do not know how to speak, either. I like this feeling. This... _you_ in my mind. A refreshing change from many Midgardian customs." He couldn't help the smile creeping onto his face. And he detested himself for letting his emotions show. How would he ever win her over if he couldn't control himself?

Paige smiled and looked away, taking another bite of her meal. She wasn't sure what kind of bird she was eating, but it was delicious. Another sip of wine brought on another urge to gulp the whole thing down. Still, she refrained and set the glass back onto the table.

 _I used to speak with a friend of mine using only thought. It made things a little difficult, because we were more open with our emotions, but that was the beauty of it. An entire conversation transmitted through the speed of thought. Emotions, hopes, dreams, desires, words... all rolled up into one._ She glanced at him, trying to hide a smile. _You must think I'm such a hopeless romantic, talking of hopes and dreams._

She couldn't help herself, her thirst. She took another sip of her wine.

 _But, back to our conversation about my lack of speech... My vocal cord deformity is a birth defect. I'm my parents' only child. My mother was lucky she had me, and I'm lucky I lived. She had two miscarriages before I was born, and I was their finally try. One day, she started bleeding and thought she'd had another miscarriage. They rushed her to the hospital and forced my birth. I was four months premature, and the doctors didn't know if I was going to survive. I was so small that I could fit in the palm of my father's hand. They kept me in an incubator for months, tubes down my throat, trying to keep me alive. I lived and grew, but my vocal cords never formed properly. Thankfully, they became paralyzed in the open position, or else I would've had to breathe through a tube the rest of my life. They doctors wanted to do surgery, but my parents refused. They preferred me to be normal, and have to use Sign, than to still have difficulties speaking and have to breathe through the tube. So... here I am, a little silent librarian._

She shrugged, slightly embarrassed by her story. Another sip of wine, this one larger, to wash the pain away.

Loki smiled back at her. "When one has had all hopes and dreams ripped from their clutches, one comes to understand and cherish those who believe in fairytales. I find it quite fascinating." He went out on a limb and revealed a single personal statement. "I only wish I held the capacity to believe in such things."

No longer, he silently added. No longer could he find it in him to believe that such wonderful things existed in the world he lived within. Too many wrongs had been done him, and he had done too many things he could not take back.

Paige gazed into his eyes and sighed. He held so much pain behind them, and her heart went out to him. He must have felt so much pain for all the wrong he had done. She reached out and gently took his hand in her own.

 _Believe me, dreams are as real as you make them. Like life. Even after years of defeat, hope can still live on. I'm not saying I support your desire to take over the world..._ She flashed him a mischievous grin. _But you cannot lose hope in those things you truly believe in. Life is what you make it. I mean, look at us. You are still my captor and I could be fighting you to the death right now, but instead we're enjoying a nice peaceful meal. Why? Because I have not lost hope. Hope in the kindness of a stranger. Hope in the petty dreams of a scholar; dreams that say magic exists and a silent librarian can dine with a powerful prince._ She released his hand and returned to her meal. _Just something to think about._

Loki smiled as she released his hand. One more action that said she could possibly come to trust him. He sipped his wine again, noting she seemed to be drinking hers down faster than he could. "If there is anyone who can make me believe once more in fairytales..."

He returned her mischievous grin and broadcast the end of his statement. _It's you._

Paige blushed harshly and looked away from him, trying to hide her smile. Just then, realization dawned on her. He had broadcast the end of his sentence. And earlier... when he had spoken of helping her find her destiny... he had broadcast that, too. He walked so easily into her mind, but wouldn't let her into his. Everything began to make sense. The reason he knew so much about her. How easy it was for him to resist her telekinesis.

 _You're a telepath._ Paige stated, glancing at him again. _Is that why you've taken such an interest in me?_

Loki leaned back in his chair. "Telepathy is just one of my many talents. An acquired art, but teachable nonetheless. Though, I must say," he took another sip of wine and raised an eyebrow. "You took your own precious time coming to that conclusion."

He had thought maybe she'd overlook his apparent telepathy. Smarter than she let on, wasn't she? He liked that in a woman. This woman intrigued him. And she just kept laying on the charm. Hard to resist, which was yet another reason he had chosen her.

 _Teachable?_ Paige looked at him like he was crazy. _How is it teachable? As if it's something that can be learned! The only reason I can do it is because of the metal contraption in my head. Teachable._ She took another sip of her wine as well and finished off the glass. _As for how long it took me to figure out you're a telepath... I had suspected so earlier, but was too distraught to be sure. I was waiting for proof. I'm actually quite shocked there's another person like me, even if said person is really a Norse god._ She grinned. _What does that say, then? That I'm rather like a god, or you're rather like a human?_

Loki admired her mischievous streak. She thought she could get away with comparing him to mere mortals? Oh, she had another thing coming. Loki broke out his entire arsenal of mischievous vocabulary and chose his weapons wisely.

"Teachable, yes. You have been granted this _gift_. The one that makes you unique. Yet another reason I noticed you. Not because you chose to remain as other mortals, but because you superceded their expectations. As you have mine." He picked up an apple and tossed it in the air, then caught it. "I always knew you would. Didn't you?"

Paige narrowed her eyes. _Do you think that my gift is the only thing that makes me unique? Then, my prince, you are clearly mistaken._

She lifted her right hand and, with a smirk, telekinetically grabbed the apple midair, causing it to hover for a slight moment, then snap into her hand. She defiantly took a bite.

 _You have yet to ask me of my other abilities._

Loki regarded the apple in her hand with quiet displeasure. "I am aware that no one has warned you, but resorting to thievery is not a welcome way to attract my attention." He downed the end of his glass of wine and poured another. "As for you other abilities... I believe I know more of them than you do at this exact moment."

Paige frowned and swallowed. _It was only a joke. I'm sorry._ She picked up her knife, wipe it off on her napkin, and cut the apple in disproportionate halves. _Here. Why don't we share it instead?_ She laid the larger portion down next to his plate. _Oh, really? Did you know I play the violin?_

 _Playing_ the violin was an understatement. Paige regarded herself as a master violinist. She had been playing the violin since she was ten years old and had used it as her only means of audible expression. Her violin, to her, was her voice... and she loved its song.

Loki accepted the apple half, still a bit disgruntled, and bit off a good quarter of it in one smooth motion. He supposed he should be thankful she apologized. So he let it go. "Violin, hmm? Did you know that violin is my favorite mortal instrument? Its voice penetrates the silence with the authority and high tones of a queen. I am quite sure Frigga would love the violin, should she ever come to Midgard." He waited for Paige's reaction. It was sure to amuse.

Paige nearly choked on her bite of apple. _O-of course. But, why should the Queen of Realms burden herself with a trip to this lowly planet? Surely you have more wondrous music on Asgard than we humans could ever produce._

She blushed, suddenly feeling very small.

Loki waved a hand dismissively and refilled Paige's glass, even though she hadn't asked him to. "Nonsense. Each realm has something lovelier than the last. Perhaps in Midgard I have simply found that music is its loveliness." Another sip of wine to still his tongue before he started gushing. Why he had been cursed with the ability to speak when nothing presented itself as a subject, he couldn't fathom.

Paige accepted the refill and leaned back in her chair. _Then perhaps one day I could play for you. I tend to think highly of my skill, but I'm sure you've only had the best play in your presence. I'm no Vivaldi, that's for sure... Also my style is a bit... modern. I own both a traditional and an electric violin. The electric one has a different and very distinct sound. I'm not sure you'd like it._

Paige took another sip of wine, noting a strange feeling in her head. She had never had more than a few sips of wine in the past, but now she was on her second glass. She set her glass back down on the table, trying to pace herself. The last thing she wanted was to start babbling like an idiot in front of royalty.

Loki finished off the apple and tried not to narrow his eyes as he surveyed the girl before him. "I am certain I would find whatever you choose to play quite fascinating. No matter what instrument you choose to entertain me with."

Paige gave an airy chuckle, more like breath escaping than a laugh. _You've never heard me play._ She grinned at him. _You're not the only one with magic tricks. If I had all my equipment, I'm sure not even you would be able to figure out how so much sound can come from such a small instrument. But, my stuff is still back at my house._

Unknowingly, Paige took another sip of her wine. She was too caught up in the conversation to notice.

 _Hey, when are you planning to release me, anyway? Not that I'm protesting your company, but I have a life. Friends. Family. You can't keep me here._

Loki shrugged noncommittally. "Why do you think I brought you here, Paige? What thoughts invade your beautiful mind?"

Paige took a second to think about it. Why had he brought her there? _I'm not sure why I'm here. It has something to do with my abilities. I know that. You said you want to help me, and I believe you. I also know you have a habit of causing trouble. You nearly took out the whole of New York last time you were on Earth. Honestly, I have no idea why you've brought me here. I'll gladly accept your help, but nothing is ever given for free. What do you want from me in return?_

Loki smiled and popped another bite of food into his mouth. Chewing gave him some time to think about it. How should he answer her? She mad a valid point when she said he did usually have ulterior motives. Maybe one day he would learn to outgrow them. So, since he wasn't entirely sure himself, he answered with one single word.

"Trust."

Paige raised her eyebrows at his simple reply. _That you will have to earn._ She took another sip of wine. _I used to give trust away freely. But, not anymore. Not since AVCORP decided they wanted to play with my brain. Not since... well... never mind._

She looked away, realizing she nearly gave away too much information. If there was one thing wine did to her, it definitely made her talk.

Another refill. Loki had to admit, talking about such deep issues made him thirsty. Or angry. He wasn't sure which. Either way, he had swiftly finished the last glass of wine and needed another to calm himself. "This... AVCORP, as you call them. Did they harm you? Are they the monsters you cringe at the very thought of?"

Paige sighed. _AVCORP is the abbreviation for Avril Corporation. A group of scientists who love money, power, and weaponry. And, yes, there are monsters. Or, they were..._

 _My friend, Demetrius, is the heir to the company. When his father died, the company went to an evil man. I volunteered for one of their science experiments, and they gave me the implant. I'm sure you saw my memories earlier. They were the ones who did that to me._

 _But, they made it worse by sending our collective consciousness into a "paradise". They only wanted us out of the way. The head doctor wanted to use the devices to create the perfect soldier. The ones he gave us were prototypes, created by Demetri. Upon a completion of the program, we were to be terminated, since we are not soldiers and the devices cannot be removed without killing the wearer. Demetri was one of the participants, and it would have been a good excuse for the doctor to get rid of his only chance of losing the company._

 _Two of the other participants, Eric and Minna, saved the rest of us before we were killed. We fought back against the scientists and burned the place to the ground. The doctor was killed in the fire, leaving Demetri as the heir. I have no qualms against AVCORP now, but every time I think of them... I remember what they did to me._

Paige took a large swallow of wine, trying to drown the memories. She didn't want to tell him what else happened to her on that virtual island. The pain and horror she had felt. The betrayal. And all because of her cursed silence.

Loki balled his hand into a fist under the table. Yes, this so-called _experiment_ had given Paige her powers, but he hated how she had been treated. He knew how it felt to be a pawn in another's game of war. And he hadn't liked it. Not then, and not now. If the scientists had not already been slain, he would kill them himself.

He rolled his shoulders back and pasted a smile on his face. "Well, I think perhaps we should speak of a happier subject. Don't you?"

Paige glanced up at her prince and forced a smile. _Yes, I would like that. Here I am talking about myself, and all I know about you are probably inaccurate human legends. Earlier you spoke of the loveliness of the Realms. What, would you say, is the loveliness of Asgard?_

"Its people," Loki answered without hesitation. "Though I can tell you wonder about my answer. Their loveliness does not always lend itself to well-treated relationships. My brother is a prime example. However, no matter their temperament, Asgardians are lovely people."

He sipped again, remembering the good times before the fall. Before the tortures and the Chitauri. If only he could go back, and be who he once was.

Paige smiled. _I'm sure they are... The Realm Eternal. What's it like? I've only heard stories, distorted through centuries of retelling. It must be beautiful. The planet of the gods._

Loki smiled as he thought back on what he had left behind. "Oh, it is amazing. Gold turrets that reach the sky. Stables with innumerable steeds of the finest nature! Halls of shimmering stone and clothes of only the finest silks. Balls held often and feasts held nightly. Tales of amazing feats and songs of the days gone by. Something tells me you would love it. Perhaps, one day, I shall take you there."

Paige smiled as she listened to his description, but then blinked in surprise when he offered to take her there. _Me? No, I don't belong there. I'm a mortal. I'd probably turn to ash the second I set foot on the soil. It's a lovely offer, though. Thank you. But, I'm sure your people would view me as lower than the animals._

"Thor brought Jane to Asgard, and she is mortal. Besides, the people wouldn't dare to look down on the guest of a prince. And, no matter what I may have done, I _am_ still their prince." He smiled to hide the pain in his heart and finished off the apple that he had practically forgotten about.

Paige glanced away from him, reminded yet again that he was royalty. _If you really think it'd be alright... I'd be honored if you would take me there. In return, perhaps I could show you how lovely Earth can be. We have many more wonders than music._ She took another sip of her wine and realized she'd nearly finished her second glass. She should stop. She knew she should, lest she do something she'd regret later.

"As I said, perhaps one day I shall take you there." He downed the end of his glass and poured yet another. Midgardian wine was so much easier to chug than Asgardian. "As for the wonders of this world... I would be delighted if you would show them to me. You must be a very skilled guide in this manner."

Paige blushed. _Oh, no. I'm hardly a guide in anything. But, if I am good at one thing, it's research. I'll do some study on the wondrous places of Earth and find those things that would impress a prince. So, tell me more about you. What do you do in your leisure time? Surely you do more than plot to take over the world._ She flashed him her signature mischievous grin.

"I used to spend my time practicing my illusions, as few paid me heed." He scowled at the uncomfortable memories.

" _Tricksters aren't allowed in this game of war,"_ Thor hadn't meant to hurt his feelings when they were children, but he had. Always bigger and braver, leaving him out.

" _What's that? Silver tongue turned to lead?"_ Volstagg had asked before the Jotunheim incident. A nickname that had stung since his childhood.

" _If you hurt him, I'll—"_

" _Kill me?"_ It hadn't taken much for him to finish Sif's statement of wrath last time he had been on Asgard. She had always hated him.

The memories swirled in his head like an angry red mist, and try as might, Loki couldn't quench the rage that boiled up inside of him. So many who hadn't given him a chance. So many who might have loved him, if only they had listened. Paid attention. Seen him.

Paige sat very still as she watched his memories. His veil had lowered, allowing her into his mind. She heard the hurtful comments his supposed friends had given him. She felt his pain and rage.

Before he realized it, Loki had flung his glass at the wall, shattering it and sending droplets of wine cascading down the stone.

The shattering glass jolted her from the vision.

Paige tentatively reached out her hand and laid it gently on his arm. She searched for words, trying to find some way to console him, but couldn't come up with anything good enough. Words could not comfort the way a heart could.

Loki wrenched his arm out from beneath Paige's soft, calm hand and almost kicked his chair over in his haste to remove himself from his seat at the table. He moved to the window and stared out into the beautiful countryside.

"Do not pity me, my little telepath. All that has occurred, I have brought on to myself. If I had wanted a different life, I would have chosen a different path to follow. As it is, I shall not bother you with the intricate details of the betrayals I have sustained. Neither will I bore you with the betrayals I have caused. It would only serve to frighten you and further infuriate me." He chortled. "And to think I had the gall to request your trust. I do not deserve it."

Paige stood and joined him by the window, laying her hand softly on his shoulder. _Althought I do feel sorry for the way they treated you, don't call it pity. It's more like..._ _understanding_ _. I know what it's like to be mocked for being different. In my opinion, those cowards were not worthy of your presence. I, too, have felt betrayal from supposed friends. At least you could fight your friends. I'm a small woman, and wasn't so lucky._

Loki shrugged her hand off. "Go back to your food and your wine, little girl. Leave me to my odious thoughts. You will not find it wise to anger me further."

Understanding. What good did it do when it couldn't change anything?

"Little girl". His words cut deeper than his blades ever could.

 _That was hurtful. Just because_ _you're_ _in pain, that doesn't give you the right to shove that pain onto others._ Paige hissed inside his mind.

She turned on her heel and strode to her chair across the room, where she had previously been held captive. She picked up her book and flipped it open, not reading it, but simply pouting behind it.

"Do you think that your presence here gives you the right to speak to me in such a tone?" Loki roared, coming away from the window. "Simply because I have hand-selected you to be my companion here, do not think for one moment that it allows you the freedom to disrespect me so!" He stopped in front of her, planting his hands on the table with a loud BANG!

Paige gasped at the loud sound and slowly closed her book. _And do you think, my prince, that you have any right to disrespect_ _me_ _simply because you are royalty?_ Her voice was calm, almost soothing, despite her fear. _I meant you no disrespect. But, I must remind you that I am still your_ _guest_ _here, am I not? And I'm still a lady. You should not speak to me with such a raging tone. Calm yourself, then we will speak._ She gripped her book tighter with one hand, preparing a blast of telekinetic energy, should she have to use it.

"And there is that tone again." With no warning, Loki dashed around the side of the table and clamped his slender fingers around Paige's throat. The soft, supple skin beneath his hand flexed and moved so easily. He knew he had the upper hand. His powerful muscles around her delicate airways. "As you say, you are my _guest_ here. I allow you to remain unharmed, and in return you _will_ do as you are told."

Memories flooded through Paige's mind. Images of the intruder in her home. Memories of a friend turned savage. A friend who had shoved her against a wall, taken out his knife and... She didn't want to remember.

She reached up and grabbed at Loki's hand, trying desperately to make him release her. _Yes. I'll do as you say. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!_ She felt the tears well up in her eyes and spill over onto her cheeks.

Loki released her then, his fingers opening just enough to slide from around her throat. Now that it was over, he felt a little guilty, but he would never admit that.

He produced an intact glass from thin air and poured himself more wine. He took it to the window, knowing she couldn't possibly wish him to be near her at that moment. No words were necessary, and his would only have harmed further. Memories of his wronged childhood still coursed through his head, filling him with rage.

Paige tried to gasp when he released her, but her throat felt as if it was closing. Soft gasps escaped her throat as she tried to breath.

Her vocal cords had been open. But, of course, they were also paralyzed. Could the grip he had on her throat really have caused them to close that much?

Paige clawed at her throat, feeling as if he still had her. _Loki!_ She cried out to him. _I... can't breathe!_

Oh, yes. Her paralyzed vocal cords. Hmm. He must have held on more tightly than he had thought. With a roll of his eyes, Loki traipsed back across the room and settled his hand around her throat once more. A few breathy mumblings, and a lot of concentration, and he felt the (only slightly moved) cords peel back to their "open" position. Once he was completely sure her airways were indeed open, he strode back to his position by the window to sulk.

Paige gasped and gave a little cough as she felt her throat open. _Thank you._

She leaned her head back against the back of the chair, completely exhausted.


	6. Chapter 6

After her first evening with her prince, the remainder of her week seemed uneventful. Of course the both of them had acted civilly the next day, and Paige tried her hardest to stay out of Loki's way whenever he got moody.

Four days in captivity worked negatively on Paige. She was able to handle the hesitant conversations of the second day, the boredom of reading the same book again on the third day, but was beginning to get a nasty case of cabin fever on the fourth. If only she had her violin.

 _Ugh!_ Paige slammed her same darned _Robin Hood_ book closed and telekinetically tossed it across the room. _Why keep me hostage if he doesn't plan to do a darn thing with me? I'm not a pet!_

Paige stomped over to the window and opened it, pushing her hand against the barrier he had put up. Green light shimmered around the palm of her hand. A blast of telekinetic energy sent a ring of green light out from the center of the barrier to the edges of the window.

 _Let me out!_

Loki watched from inside the door. The past several days had seen him busy trying to throw The Avengers off his trail. He had to admit, part of his reason for being gone so often was that he did not want to threaten Paige's life again. Perhaps he had neglected to pay her heed as he should have. The fact that she had tried to break through his shields with telekinetic energy amused him endlessly.

He let down the invisibility shield and chuckled. "Still so defiant after these past days." He clucked his tongue. "Perhaps you wish to learn how to fight back. How to use your powers to your advantage. I can show you how, but only if you wish it."

Paige jolted, startled by his sudden voice. She hadn't heard him come in.

 _I'm sorry._ She sighed, referring to her constant act of trying to break through his shields. _I'm just so... bored._ She brightened at the thought of actually doing something. _Of course I'd love to learn how to control my powers. I mean, I'd be learning from the best._ Paige smiled at him and walked toward him, stopping a few feet away. _What did you have in mind?_

Loki smiled and sauntered closer. "To show how great your powers can become. But, first, there is something I wish to do... for you." He extended a hand, hoping she'd take it. He could work her into trust from there.

Paige took a step back as he moved closer. Ever since their little incident, Paige was terrified of her prince. Rather, not of him, but of his temper and how suddenly it could be triggered. She knew he hadn't meant to harm her. He probably hadn't taken into consideration how delicate her throat was because of her paralysis. But, the fear he had caused her was very real, and she did what she could to avoid him.

Over the past few days, she'd hardly broadcast more than a few words to him, and only when he spoke to her first. She also avoided eye contact with him whenever she could, which was difficult for her because she really did enjoy looking into those beautifully expressive green eyes.

Paige glanced down at his extended hand, unsure if she should trust him. But, then she remembered the promise she had made to herself, to accept whatever her prince had to offer her. Hesitantly, she took his hand. She forced a smile and looked up into his beautifully expressive eyes.

Loki grinned. It was the first time in days she had looked at him earnestly. It brought hope with it, a feeling he hadn't felt for far longer than necessary.

He clasped her hand gently. "Before we go, I need you to swear to me one thing." He studied her eyes, searching for honesty. "Swear to me that you will willingly return here with me when all has been said."

Paige's heart nearly stopped. He was releasing her? But, only if she promised to return. How could she return when she was so fearful of him?

But, then again, he was willing to help her. He understood her like no one else could. Despite his temper, he was still usually kind to her. And he was still her prince.

 _Yes..._ She finally replied, still fearful of his purposes. _I will return to you. But, only if you promise_ _me_ _something. Promise me that you will try to control your temper. I mean no disrespect, your highness, honestly. But, last time you lost control, you nearly killed me. I know you only meant to scare me – and it worked, believe me – but you did more than that, too. Please, try to understand. I'm only fearful for my own safety._

She looked away from him, wincing, afraid that he would strike her.

Loki used his thumb to gently rub the back of her hand. She was genuinely afraid of him. Her tense posture bespoke her terror that he would harm her again. "I was drunk and enraged when this unfortunate happenstance occurred. My temper is a wild animal, I cannot tame it. But know this, I will never harm you again."

He squeezed her hand more tightly and pulled her to him, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Hold tightly."

And Loki teleported them both to another locale.

* * *

/

* * *

Two days went by. Drake couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. All he could think about was Paige, alone and cold in a dark cell somewhere as that monster tortured her. While the "city's greatest heroes" did absolutely nothing to save her. He tried to call Mrs. Barnett, but she never answered her phone.

On the third day after Paige's disappearance, Drake was awakened by the thundering sound of a heavy fist pouding on his door. Still in his underclothes, which he slept in, he answered his door. A group of policemen stood glaring at him.

"Are you Drake Kier?"

"Yes. Is this about Paige?"

"Yes, it is. Please come with us. We have some questions for you."

* * *

/

* * *

Brooke stood on the edge of the Stark Tower terrace, closed her eyes, and spread her arms wide. Wind up here, good wind. Noise and silence all at once. For once, the arrows and lines didn't talk to her.

"Brooke! Thor told me you had come back. Mind if I give you a physical while you're here?" Beasty's voice.

"I'm a bird," Brooke responded, not budging. "Fly away now."

Bruce laughed from his spot by the door and scratched the back of his head. "No experiments. I promise. I know what those are like, remember?"

"Beasty smash," Brooke sing-songed. "Mind plays tricks, talks without speaking."

"Come on," Bruce prodded. "You can listen in on the meeting while I check your health."

Brooke spun and narrowed her eyes. "Meeting?"

"I dunno. Tony has something to say, per usual. Come on." He stood aside and motioned to the door.

Brooke rolled her eyes and shuffled her way inside, despite the protests she wanted to make. Too tired to argue. Bruce followed her and snatched a doctor's bag on the way to the couches. Brooke flopped onto one and sat cross-legged.

Bruce knelt on the floor beside her and wrapped her arm in a blood pressure cuff.

"So glad I gathered you all here today," Tony started. "According to the big guy over there, we have a bit of a situation on our hands. Nothing we can't handle. Just some avenging stuff. Reports indicate that Loki has returned to earth. Woohoo!" He waved his hands sarcastically.

Bruce rolled his eyes and took the cuff off Brooke's arm. "That bag of cats? No way. Hey, Brooke, anything unusual going on up in that brain of yours?"

"Arrows and lines. Words without speaking," Brooke answered with a shrug.

"We have evidence from a reliable young man." Tony held up a bag with a scrap of green cape in the bottom.

"Who brought that?" Bruce asked as he pulled out a popsicle stick. "Open up for me."

Brooke opened her mouth wide.

Tony furrowed his brow. "His name was... wait, I remember this. Don... Dan... Dax... Dex... Oh, where's Pepper when you need her?"

Brooke answered, with Bruce's popsicle stick still in the middle of her tongue. "Dake."

"Yeah, Dake! That was it! Hey, kid, you're more useful than you let on. What say I give you a job? You could come live here, follow me around, remember things for me—"

"—Stark," Thor interrupted. "The young man's name was Drake. Please remain on topic, or I shall have to take over this meeting, as you call it."

"I'd like to see you try," Tony snapped.

Brooke pushed Bruce's hand away and sat up straighter. Something terribly wrong. Arrows and lines, calling to her. Telling her where to go. Who to see. She shrugged and stood. "Time to go, can't stay long. Something bad out there."

"I'll go with her," Bruce offered. "Not sure where we're going, but at least someone stable will be there."

"Haha, stable, that's a good one," Tony laughed.

Bruce pinned him with an icy glare.

Brooke ignored everyone and dashed for the elevator, which JARVIS opened before she even got there. Bruce raced to join her.


	7. Chapter 7

Drake sighed as he sat in the interrogation room. For hours now, they cops had been asking him the same questions over and over. Where was Paige? Why was he angry with her? Where did he have her? He was the last person to see her, so he was their prime suspect.

The knob on the locked door turned, letting the two main cops back inside. This time, they carried a baggie.

The thinner one threw the bag on the table. "You mind explaining that, son?"

"It's dirt. So?"

"It's dirt from the wheels of your car. It matches a sample we took from the woods, about half an hour from the city. Cameras on the street lights on that part of town caught your car down in the suburbs the day Paige Barnett went missing. You were driving through town to get to the woods. Why?"

"I picked her flowers," Drake honestly replied. "Wild daisies, her favorite, from the spot where we had our first date."

"The woods is a mighty strange place to have a date, son."

"We've both been through a lot. The woods gave us comfort."

"What do you mean by 'a lot'?"

Drake sighed again. They would never believe him. "Paige and I met during an experiment process. Called the AVCORP project. They sent our subconsciouses into a virtual world while they experimented on our brains. We were sent to an island. Paige and I spent a lot of time together, wandering the tropical forest. When we escaped, we chose the woods because it reminded us of our time together."

Both cops broke out in a fit of laughter.

"What are you smoking, kid?"

"How come we've never heard of this 'AVCORP project' before?"

"It was top secret. During our escape, we burned down the place. All the evidence was lost. What remained was probably destroyed by the scientists who survived the fire. I'm telling you, it was _real_."

"Sure thing, kid. Let's see how that holds up in court!"

"Come on, son, tell us where the girl is."

"I've already told you! I didn't kidnap Paige. _Loki_ did."

"The guy The Avengers beat the crap out of six years ago? Okay. You need help, kid."

The two cops left the room, still reveling in their fit of laughter, as Drake laid his head on the table. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

/

* * *

Brooke stopped outside the local police station and cocked her head. "This one."

Bruce groaned and leaned his hands down on his knees, trying to catch his breath. For such a small woman, she moved fast. And sure. He had to learn quickly how to _not_ run into everyone on the street as she wove her way seamlessly through the crowd. He looked up at the building. "We have to go in there?"

"I go in," Brooke corrected. "Beasty helps if nothing goes right."

"Yeah, that makes me feel ten times better." Bruce stood up straight and took one last deep breath to still the pain in his side. "I'm coming with you."

Brooke rolled her eyes over to look at him and shrugged. "Can't stop you."

"Absolutely right."

"Mission is a go." Brooke flipped her hair over her shoulder and strutted through the front door.

The receptionist at the front desk looked at them like she had seen aliens that looked more normal. She eyed Bruce twice, probably because she recognized him as "that guy who turned into a giant green monster". He winced at the stereotype.

"I'm here for a boy." Brooke's voice suddenly sounded completely normal, and her gaze would have stunned a horse. "Don't try to stop me, because my lawyer will have words with you if you do." She smiled for a split second, snapped to Bruce, and cat-walked through the side door.

"Where's he at?" Bruce asked quietly as the door clicked closed behind them.

Brooke shrugged. "Never know. Follow the lines."

"What lines?"

"Arrows and lines, hanging on air. Never wrong."

Bruce would have made a smart comeback, but two cops came out of nowhere and pulled Brooke aside. One pinned her to the wall, while the other pulled a taser and started for Bruce.

"You really don't want to do that," Bruce pleaded.

The cop shook his head. "You two aren't supposed to be back here. How'd you even get in?"

"Probably used her pretty little head."

Brooke shrieked and struggled to free her incapacitated limbs as the cop used one leg to hold hers still and one arm to pin the rest of her to the wall. A super spy wasn't much use when she didn't have the room to do her thing.

"Brooke!" Bruce sprang forward when he saw the cop's intent was to harm her. The second cop plugged the taser into Bruce's neck.

Bruce fell to the floor, momentarily hurt, and turned his changing eyes to the cop who'd done the hurting. "Bad choice." A muscle enlarged and popped his shirt sleeve from his arm. His skin gradually faded from white to green. Soon, the hallway barely fit him. He swatted the cop with a taser aside with one arm and grabbed the other by his collar.

Brooke scrambled out from where the man had pinned her and flattened herself by a door. Hulk flung the cop through a wall and turned to Brooke, who smiled.

"Find Dragon."

The two began pounding on doors.

* * *

/

* * *

Drake looked up from the table when he heard a commotion out in the hall. It sounded like one of the prisoners had started a fight.

Without warning, the one-way mirror next to him shattered into a thousand pieces as a large green monster burst its way through. Its yellow toothy grin nearly caused Drake to faint.

He frantically yanked on his handcuffs, desperately attempting to flee from the green giant in front of him. Within moments, his head began to swim. He really did feel like he was fainting. He felt it as his hands slid from the cuffs and his body hit the floor. But, then he couldn't feel the floor under him. It was as if he was floating in space.

Drake opened his eyes to see a vast desert stretching for miles in every direction. Tall shadows dotted the horizon here and there. The tallest ones seemed to be faded images of buildings. In front of him, the green monster seemed to be made of black sand that was quickly blowing away on the wind. His image was faded, like he was standing behind murky glass. The monster's expression was one of confusion, as it turned in a circle, searching for something.

Drake reached out a hand to touch the horrible beast. As quickly as everything had transfigured, it returned to normal. However, he was now standing on the opposite side of the room, mere inches away from the overgrown savage.

With a cry, Drake dropped to the ground, covering his head with his arms, as if that would somehow protect him from getting tossed, squished, or eaten.

* * *

/

* * *

Another wall smashed in, Brooke could hear it as she stepped through a now open wall and glanced at the girl sitting idly in the corner. Flashlights in her hands. Wait, no. No flashlights. Hands _were_ lights. Strange.

Brooke moved on, following Beasty, and stopped when she saw Dragon. He sank to the ground like black water and came back up again the same way.

Beasty reached for another wall, but Brooke threw herself in front of him and held up both hands, hair flying. "Beasty!"

Hulk stopped and looked down at the tiny woman before him.

"Stop."

He huffed and panted, but didn't move.

Brooke smiled and grabbed one of his huge hands. He lifted her like she weighed nothing. She looked down to Dragon, in the fetal position. "Dragon, no fear. Dragon is brave. Beasty'll get us out." She held a hand toward him. "Come."

Drake blinked and sat up on his knees, confused at the small woman hanging above him from the monster's hand. "You're _riding_ that thing?" he asked, still in shock.

After a few more moments to get over the shock and prove he hadn't lost his mind entirely, Drake stood to his feet. "How did I get out of the cuffs? And did you see that? The world turned to sand." He reached up and grabbed Brooke's hand, hoisting himself up to join her on the massive beast. "Just don't drop me, alright big guy?"

Brooke grunted as she used all her muscles to hoist Dragon up with her. "Beasty's nice," Brooke explained. "Ground not sand, Dragon turned to water. Black, black water with nowhere to go."

"Black water?" Drake asked, confused. "What do you mean? Everything else changed."

Before she could say another word, Hulk dove through another wall – back first so as not to harm the young people – and took off running down the street. Brooke used all her concentration to cling to the hand holding her.

Drake gasped and clung tightly to the green beast as it shoved its way through another wall. Its thunderous running nearly caused him to faint again. His skin began to turn a few shades darker.

* * *

/

* * *

Kitania turned off the lumen in her hands and tiptoed to the smashed-in wall. She was pretty sure she had just seen the Hulk blaze a trail through the police station. Or had she just been hallucinating again?

Something metal groaned in the nearby wall, possibly causing the structure to shift, and she skittered across the boundary line into the next room. If she followed the breaks, she would eventually find a way outside, right? She hoped her theory was right.

Her only crime had been standing too long outside a downtown bakery, and the owner had grown suspicious and called the cops. Since she wouldn't give them a last name, they had somehow decided she must be a criminal and taken her into custody. Yeah, right. She had never broken a law in her life, but she had been around those that would. And he couldn't find her. Not ever.

She smiled widely when she found a giant hole in the side wall and saw the people walking by on the street. All looked the other way, probably in the direction Hulk had gone. Which left only one thing for her to do.

Kitania pulled a hood up over her long, dark hair and started in the opposite direction.


	8. Chapter 8

Hulk stopped outside of Stark Tower and Brooke clicked a button by the door. The green man behind her slowly began to shrink to his normal size, and she tried not to look too closely.

"Master Stark has requested all visitors stay away today," JARVIS said through the speaker system.

"Not strangers," Brooke insisted. "Beasty hurt. Need help. Send Lightning!"

"At once, mistress Brooke," JARVIS replied cordially.

Brooke smiled.

Drake jumped off of the monster as it slowly returned to normal."You didn't answer me, Brooke. What did you mean by 'black water'?"

He glanced back at the Hulk, remembering back to his own horrible experience with a pair of trunks and a pool. Drake emphasized with the changing man and, not realizing what he was doing, quickly formed a pair of black pants out of the shadows around him. "Here, man. We're on the street and there's girls around. Best cover it." He turned back to Brooke. "Now. Back to the 'black water'."

Brooke looked down to the black water pants and didn't remove her eyes from them. "Black water," she repeated. She couldn't explain it any other way. She just hoped that Dragon realized what she was saying.

The doors didn't open, but she saw Tony and Lightning coming. JARVIS completed his mission. Good JARVIS.

Drake looked down at the pants he had given Dr. Banner. Black pants, made of shadows. Black water.

"Ah! What's happening to me?!" Drake screamed, looking down at his hands. "No! This wasn't supposed to happen! I was safe! I was the normal one! Get it out! Get it out!" He reached back and immediately began to claw at the back of his head, as if he had a swarm of bees buzzing around in his brain. "Please," Drake looked to Brooke as his skin began to fade to dark tan. "You have to help me."

Brooke stood on her tiptoes and reached her fingertips to brush across his neck, where he had pulled at it. She sighed heavily and pulled her hair around to one side of her head, tilting her chin sideways and revealing the long line of her neck. A long, thin scar ran behind her ear, and another small scar marred her temple.

"Glass in my mind. Telling me where to go. Who to be. Drums in my head, hotter than Hades. Don't want to dance with their sticks." She made eye contact with him, something she rarely did. "But I did. Learned to survive, but didn't want to. Experiments. Lies that pulled me in and pinned me down." She shrugged, nothing else to say. The longest she had talked since she had been changed into who she was now.

She waited for Dragon to scoff. To tease. To run. Everyone did.

Drake felt her fingers on the back of his neck and stopped scratching. He saw her scars and heard her explanation. She went through it, too. She knew what it was like to be experimented on. Heck, they all did. If there was anywhere he would be accepted, it was here, at Stark Tower. Paige had tried to tell him, tried to make him understand. He understood now.

He whispered a small "thank you" and stood up straight, conquering his previous fit.

"Okay," Brooke agreed with Drake.

It was about that time that Tony finally decided to open the door, and Thor helped Bruce inside by throwing one of the man's arms around his shoulders.

"Might as well come in," Tony shrugged. "Danny here's got a lot of explaining to do."

Brooke tossed her hair aside as she brushed past Tony, with only one word. "Drake."

Tony rolled his eyes.

Brooke smiled back in Drake's direction.

"Thanks, Brooke." Drake said as he followed her into the tower. He soon turned to look at Stark. "Look, man. I don't know what those cops wanted with me. You know as well as I do that that Renaissance psycho kidnapped her. All I wanna do is get her back."

Tony shrugged again and shut the door as the kids finally made it in. "Yeah, I _know_ Reindeer Games took her. We all do. There's been a development while you guys were gone."

Brooke perked up and glanced from Tony to Drake. Tony. Drake. "Development?"

Drake nearly fell to the floor. A development? "What is it? What happened? Is Paige okay? If that creep did anything to hurt her, I'll tear his neck from his shoulders. I don't care if he is some sort of god. If he hurts her, he'll pay."

"Well, see, it appears..." Tony sighed. "Looks like Loki learned how to use the internet. Thor got an email, via JARVIS, via me... He's still trying to figure out how he got a letter using airwaves. No luck explaining it."

"Email?" Brooke asked. Not something she comprehended.

"It's not airwaves," Drake corrected. "It's electricity. Coding and structure that programs can read. It's just like sending any other letter, except electricity is the messenger." He stopped. There were far more pressing matters than trying to explain how email worked. "What did he say? Is Paige alright? Is she alive?"

"Right. You think I didn't try explaining it to him that way first?" Tony scoffed. "For an alien, he really doesn't get Earth technology very well."

Brooke tugged on his arm.

He looked down at her. "Yeah, short person?"

"Dragon asked questions." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah. Questions. Right." He turned so he could make eye contact with Drake. "According to the email, she's fine. He swears he won't hurt her, but somehow he figured out Thor was trying to trace his location. We're working on a new tactic since that one didn't work out. Shouldn't take more than a few hours if Bruce and I have anything to say about it, but take that with a grain of salt. This guy's tricky."

"Have you tried to trace where the email came from? I know he probably went far away from where he has her, but... how far? That's the question. If he's gotten cocky with his plans, he might get reckless. He could still be in the area. If we can pinpoint a square-mile radius, that should give us something."

Drake strolled over to one of the nearby touchscreens. "May I?" he asked, not bothering to check over his shoulder to see if his actions were alright.

Within moments, Drake had a flash drive in the system and was messing with his smart phone. Only seconds passed before the password screen on the touchscreen lit up with the correct digits and moved to the welcome screen. A few swipes of Drake's fingers brought up a scrolling screen of information. He seemed to be conducting an orchestra of data. "By the way, I'm hacking your system. I want to read the email myself, and put a tracer on it. I hope you don't mind. You can call the cops later. It wouldn't be the first time I've seen them today."

"Yeah, I already traced it." Tony slapped a printed copy of the email down on the table next to Drake and patted him on the shoulder. "Good thinking, though."

He strode toward the balcony and braced himself for the suit that would inevitably spring up to meet him as he walked. "I'm heading over there. Don't have too much fun without me."

Brooke leapt up to perch atop the bar and stared over at Drake and the computer. "Tech-y Dragon. That's new." And she pulled a smart phone from behind the wall she sat on and turned it on.

Drake blinked at the email Stark had laid down next to him. "Yeah, well. I could have found it myself if you'd given me a chance." He sighed and walked over to Brooke. "I'm a programmer for AVCORP. I don't expect you to know who those guys are, so let's just say they aren't friends with Mr. Stark. In fact, you could probably call them rivals. Avril Corporation has tried its best to compete with Stark Industries in coming up with the latest and greatest technologies, mainly in the field of military weaponry and biotechnologies. But, Stark has always been better."

Drake shrugged and pulled his flash drive from the touch screen. "Stark Industries isn't easy to hack into. I've been working on it for months. I didn't steal any of his files just now, though. I might be a criminal, but I'm an honest one. Stark is helping me. I'll leave my profession out of it."

He sighed and began to pace, thinking of Paige. He wondered how she was doing, whether she was truly alright. He had to do something to get his mind off of her. The Avengers were doing everything they could to get her back. "So... this JARVIS program. It's a lot like Demetri's SIDNES. Simulated Intelligence Defense Network for Emergencies and Situations. I helped him upgrade his software last month."

"It isn't often I hear things like that," JARVIS piped up. "If I may ask, master Drake, is this SIDNES program of the female persuasion?"

Drake growled at the program. "No, he's not. And I don't appreciate snobbish sophisticated binary referring to my work as such."

Brooke couldn't help it. She giggled uncontrollably at JARVIS' question. So hard, in fact, that she ended up on her side atop the perch she had chosen. Hands clasped at her stomach as the laugh escaped her. And then, in an instant, she fell off the back and crashed into the glasses scattered across the bar. The sound of glass crunching against flesh was sickening.

Drake jumped as he heard the crash behind him. "Brooke!" He rushed to her side, "Are you alright? You're bleeding. JARVIS, where's the nearest first-aid kit? And isn't there at least one superhero with medical training? Could you alert him please?"

"I'll summon Doctor Banner immediately," JARVIS responded. "And I'm sure you'll find a first aid kit beneath the bar. Master Stark has... _tendencies_."

Brooke pushed herself to a sitting position and looked over her shoulder to see the gaping wound on the back of it. "Seen worse." But she winced as she said it, belying the pain.

Thor burst through a door somewhere near the back of the room and furrowed his brow at the sight before him. He rushed to scoop Brooke into his huge arms and carried her to the couch, where he turned her so he could inspect the wound carefully.

"Of all," he stated, "I thought you would only become injured in the heat of a great battle."

Brooke shrugged and looked around for Drake. "Dragon?"

"I'm right here, Brooke," Drake said, bringing the first-aid kit over to the couch. He knelt down next to her and began to inspect the wound. "You should be more careful," he scolded lovingly. "It wasn't even that funny. Darned robot thinks he has a sense of humor. Wait'll I get my hands on that programmer, then we'll see who has a sense of humor." Drake sighed and opened the kit, readying the supplies for the doctor.

"I'm here!" Bruce called as he raced in. "JARVIS said it was urgent. Who hurt themselves?"

He noticed Brooke on the couch with Thor and Drake hovering and scooted that way, sure to avoid any close contact with the god of thunder. There was a long history there.

Brooke whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut, something she wasn't prone to do.

Hawkeye somehow managed to pick that exact time to come in from the balcony, as well. Soon, there was a pretty large circle forming around Brooke. Three out of six Avengers and one superhuman huddled around her wasn't too shabby for a crazy girl who could barely remember her name. Still, she was in pain, so she didn't really care.

Bruce looked around at the first aid equipment scattered around him as Thor took one of Brooke's hands in his own. "Hey, Drake," Bruce started, "Where'd the tweezers go?"

Drake handed the doctor the tweezers and backed out of the circle of heroes. Too many big guys, bigger than himself, and far stronger. He wasn't one for large crowds anyway. "I'm over here, Brooke, if you need me."

He wandered over to Stark's desk and glanced at his glassy touchscreens. Such a beautiful elegant technology. Once a tech nerd, always a tech nerd. And this chic geek was far too impressed with the technology around him to be concerned with a matter that was already being taken care of.

"This is gonna hurt," Bruce warned. He plucked the first shard of glass from her shoulder.

Brooke shrieked and wrapped a hand tightly around Thor's bicep.

Thor winced. "For one so small, our fair maiden has a grip firm as iron."

"She's in pain, soldier boy. She's going to grip anything she touches tighter." Bruce rolled his eyes and carefully extracted another shard.

Hawkeye winced, and he was only an onlooker. "That doesn't look pleasant."

"Not pleasant," Brooke confirmed through her tears.

Drake's heart went out to Brooke as he watched from across the room. He remembered when he'd treated Paige for her own injuries. Injuries given to her by that... brute. He should have torn his arm clean off, instead of just breaking it. Should have cracked his head open to match. Oh, what was happening with his poor little butterfly?

Drake stalked over to the large picture window and looked out at the city below. He saw the park they had gone to only days before. The bench she had sat on. And then... she was gone.

He swallowed hard, trying to fight back tears. If he was in his own house, he would be picking his own glass shards out by now. He had a tendency to get self-violent when he was upset, and many mirrors had met their demise in his home. Once again, his thoughts turned to Paige. He couldn't stop thinking about her. If that monster hurt her, blood would be spilled. Drake would make sure of it.

Bruce tied off the last stitch and rocked back on his heels. "Okay, Brooke. You're done. It's all better now."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Not a child."

Thor gave a bemused smile as Brooke finally released his arm. Then he rubbed at the red spot developing on his bicep. Hawkeye shook his head and returned to the balcony.

Brooke perked up and glanced around the room. "Dragon?"

Drake swiped at the tears streaming down his cheeks. He didn't want any of the heroes to see him cry. They, who were so strong, would think him weak for crying over a lost girl. But she wasn't just any girl. She was the woman he loved. The others needed to know.

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

* * *

/

* * *

Kitania didn't think about where she was going. She tried not to remember her precious books that had been confiscated along with her bag. No use trying to get them back now. She couldn't fight an entire police force. Not without making them suspicious.

At the entrance to Central Park, she stopped and looked down to her hands. She turned on her lumen, and watched the light seep from the palm of her hand. Glowing, shimmering. Lighting everything it touched, including her face. A curse like hers could only bring confusion to others, the police at the top of that list. That was why she hadn't said anything.

With a sigh, she turned it off and looked up to find the nearest bench. The man she saw surprised her the most.

Demetri sat with his earbuds in, swaying side to side as he quickly sketched, listening to a soft rock ballad. Sunglasses shielded his eyes from onlookers, who would have easily caught on to his impairment had they seen him. He was not looking at his paper. Instead, his eyes flicked rapidly back and forth behind his glasses, matching the speed of his pen. As quickly as he had stared the drawing, it was finished.

With a pleased sigh, Demetri set his sketch book down on the bench next to him, subtly passing his hand over it. In the place where the image was, a living black sparrow now hopped. It turned its head to the side, glancing at Demetri, and then took flight into the nearest tree. Demetri removed his earbuds and listened intently for the sound of his sparrow's song.

Kitania couldn't believe her eyes. He had just made that bird come to life. That had been a drawing fifteen seconds ago. What the heck? Here she was, feeling sorry for herself, and it turned out she wasn't the only one with wacky powers.

She flexed her hands, back and forth, letting her lumen turn on and off and hoping no one saw. Maybe he would understand. Maybe he could help her hide. Maybe.

Before she could wimp out, Kitania shuffled across the green grass and stopped a few feet behind the bench. She couldn't do it. He'd never understand. This had been a bad idea.

Demetri heard the light crunch of leaves and twigs behind him. The footfalls were too heavy to be from an animal. "Beautiful day, isn't it? The sun is shining, the birds are singing. Do you see that black little bird up there?" He gestured toward where his black sparrow was hopping in the trees. "He's so beautiful, isn't he? And he has such a wonderful song! Listen."

Kitania heard him speak, which only served to freak her out further. She paced away from the bench, then chided herself for being such a coward and returned to her spot. Away, back. And again. She just couldn't make up her mind. Finally, she allowed her hair to fall toward her face, her long black tresses and bangs creating a barrier between her and any unwanted human interaction. She took a deep breath and tried not to panic.

Demetri heard the footsteps retreat and then return. Retreat and then return. The small person was more flighty than his sparrow.

But, then he heard her speak.

"I saw what you did," she said quietly. "With the bird. Is that... like... a normal thing for you?"

"It depends..." Demetri replied, choosing his words carefully. "Who are you with?" He reached down toward his belt and removed what looked to be a silver knife hilt elegantly wrapped in black rubber. He let his hand and the hilt lie in his lap as he waited to see how the girl would respond.

"With?" Kitania hated that it sounded breathy, like she was super nervous about something. She was, of course, but she hated feeling small and weak. "I don't know what you mean." She forced herself to remain still, unable to reason why she'd spoken to him, or why he seemed to be holding something in his lap. Suddenly cold, she wrapped her arms around herself.

Demetri held his cool. Perhaps she was just an innocent onlooker. He heard the nervousness in her voice. "I'm sorry," Demetri laughed. "I'm a very... important... man, and there are people out there who would want to get to me. As to your question, it was just a trick. I'm an illusionist. That bird is my pet. A very rare black sparrow." He hoped his lie would satisfy her.

To prove his point, he held out one finger and whistled a tune. His sparrow immediately flew down from the branch and landed on his finger. "See? His name is Onyx. Would you like to pet him? He won't peck."

A pet bird. Of course. She shouldn't have been dumb enough to think there were other people outside of The Avengers who would understand. And she couldn't go to them. She couldn't let them know. They'd throw her out. They'd laugh at her.

Kitania took a deep breath and stepped forward to reach a trembling hand to stroke the bird's head. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just... It's just... I thought maybe..." No, she couldn't say it. He wouldn't understand. No one would ever understand.

Demetri frowned when he heard her speak. She had wanted him to have powers. His instincts screamed at him, demanding to know why. But, he was too refined to give in to his petty fears. "If you're actually with some sort of company, and do anything to harm me or steal secrets from me, I will have the entire Avril Corporation after you..." He paused and sighed. "But, you saw correctly. I did draw this bird, and he's not my pet. Look at your fingers. They're stained with ink."

Kitania frowned and turned her hand to look at her fingers. Black liquid sank into the cracks and fingerprint ridges. Ink. So he _had_ brought the bird to life. She knew it! Oh, thank God she wasn't crazy after all!

She dropped a hand to the back of the bench. "I thought so," she whispered. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to just say it. To tell him she had powers, and she thought she was a freak. He'd probably laugh. And, besides, it was kind of something she had to show him and if his dead-ahead stare and dark shades were any indication, this guy wouldn't be seeing it any time soon.

Demetri sighed again and let the bird fly away. He placed his ink-covered hand back into his lap, gripping the hilt of his Adamantium knife. "Tell me who you are." His voice was soft, only requesting.

Kitania was close enough now that she could see the knife on his lap. But she wasn't too scared. More scared of the pain than what he could do to her. She lowered her eyes. "M-my name's Kitania." Then in a burst of bravery, she added on, "Who are you?"

Demetri smiled. "You mean you don't know who I am? Well, I must be doing a good job of hiding. My name is Demetrius Avril, heir to the Avril Corporation: AVCORP." He shifted his blade to his other hand, turned on the bench, and held his right hand out to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you. You may call me Demetri."

"Hi." Kitania wrapped one hand around her other arm and closed her eyes. She took deep breaths, controlling her anxiety. Out-of-control emotions still had the potential to make her hands light up, and there were people strolling about in the park.

She didn't know what to say next, and she didn't know what AVCORP was, particularly. She had never been big on current events. She preferred her own little world where books and ivories were her escape and she could forget about the strange powers in her hands. She shuffled from one foot to the other. Unsure how to proceed. Unsure if she wanted to tell him she even had a power. She didn't even know anymore.

"Would you like to have a seat?" Demetri asked, moving his sketch pad off of the bench. "I'd love the company. Lately, I haven't had the chance to talk to very many people. Or, if you prefer walking..." He quickly put his knife away and pulled another, similar tool from his belt. This white little rod, instead of having a blade at the end of it, had a plastic ball the size of a golf ball. He flicked the device once, letting the telescopic plastic pieces fold out into his cane. "It's up to you."

"Sitting is fine," Kitania agreed as she hustled around the side of the bench and seated herself as far away from Demetri as she could get. "I'm done with constant movement."

If only there were some way to fight off those after her with her power. But, alas, it wasn't as useful as that. She wanted so badly to be a warrior maiden, esteemed in the highest regard as someone who could look after herself. Unfortunately, all she would ever be was the damsel in distress. She was sick of it. Sick of being scared. Sick of looking over her shoulder. Sick of false explanations and made-up tales of who she was. She'd find her identity. And it would start with this (sickeningly scary) conversation.

Demetri smiled when Kitania sat down. "Why are you constantly moving? That must be tiresome." He leaned his cane against the side of the bench and began to sketch again, but this time much slower than before.

Kitania held in a sarcastic chortle. "Reasons." So many reasons. Good ones and bad ones. Hidden ones and ones that had been aired in public. All pointing back to one point in her history that she hated to relive. She flexed a hand, watching the lumen dim and brighten. Dim and brighten. "Look, I'm not really good at talking about... well... _anything_. I have a past and I have secrets and I am horrible at letting others in."

"Well, that makes two of us," Demetri stated, glancing over in her direction. "A past and secrets. The secrets of the powerful... I'm surprised you aren't freaked out by a blind guy drawing right in front of you."

"After what I've been through, I don't think anything can freak me out anymore. Besides, you have superpowers. I'd expect nothing less." She curled her arms around herself, even though it wasn't chilly. Even thinking about the past made her shiver with dread.

"Superpowers? I wouldn't call them that. It's more of a... talent." He laid his pen and paper down on his lap. "And what about you? No talents? No hobbies? We don't have to talk about the past. Let's talk about the present. Who are you right now? As for me, I am Demetrius, the strange blind sketch artist."

"Sure. I have hobbies and..." Kitania gulped, "talent. Um, I play piano. Probably could have been a child prodigy if they'd let me. And, well, I guess mostly my hobby is hiding. And... and..." she didn't want to say it. "There is one other thing."

"Piano. Wonderful. My mother tried to teach me, but it's a little difficult when you can't read the notes. I try to play things by ear, but I'm nowhere near being the next Ray Charles." Demetri turned a little so that he was facing her more. "Hiding as a hobby. I've never thought of that. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'd be very good at that game." He chuckled at his own joke. "And...? It's not like I'd tell anyone. Who is there to tell? If you run away and walk into a crowd, how would I ever find you again? You don't have to tell me, but judgment is blind as well."

Kitania sighed and relaxed a little. He was right. He'd never be able to identify her to the authorities or a friend, and especially not to... _him_. She might as well come out and say it. Tell him what he was digging for. She flexed a palm and studied the light as it brightened. Time to trust just one person, and if it backfired she could always refuse to trust anyone ever again. "You're not the only one with... abilities."

Demetri gave a knowing smile. "Of course I'm not. I'm one of many. In fact, one of my best friends is a telepath. Another can bend metal with his mind. And then there's the twins with energy control. It's fitting, seeing as they're both such hotheads." He laughed, remembering his adventures on the island. "What can you do?"

How had he known? How had he hit the nail so closely on the head? She was worse at easing people into things than she thought. She flexed her palm again. "I know you can't see it, but..." Brighten, dim. Brighten, dim. She sighed. "I have light that comes from my palms, which sounds stupid I know. But, um, it's... it's not. It... it does things. You're going to think I'm a complete whack-job!" she huffed.

"You say to the man who makes birds out of blobs of ink. I don't think you're anything but yourself. Confused perhaps, but not crazy."

Just then, Demetri's phone rang in his pocket.


	9. Chapter 9

"Call from... Drake Kier," Demetri's phone announced.

"Oh, this is one of those friends I was telling you about." He grabbed his old-fashioned flip phone from his pocket. "He hasn't come into his power yet, though... Which is strange, since we implanted the device years ago... Anway, excuse me for just a moment." He flipped the phone open. "Drake! My friend! How are you?"

"Not so good." Drake's voice quivered. "Paige... she's gone."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Demetri looked sorrowful. "Did you have a fight?"

"It's not like that... she's..." Drake couldn't hold back any longer. Sobs took over as he tried to speak. "He took her."

"Took her?! What do you mean?"

Drake tried to reply, but his words were indistinguishable.

"I can't understand you. Just calm down." Demetri spoke in a calm and even voice, despite his fear. "Start at the beginning."

"We fought, and she went home, and I picked daisies, and I went to talk to her, and when I got there, she was gone! Loki kidnapped her!"

"What? The madman with the monsters? …Oh, no. you don't think... Oh, dear. What about you? Are you alright?"

"Naw, man. My powers. Shadow control. I got shadow control. Oh, you gotta help me, man. I'm over with Stark right now."

"Stark?! What on earth are you doing over there?"

"He's one of them superheroes, man. He can get her back."

Demetri growled low in his throat. "Fine. But don't you tell him, Drake Kier, about that device you've got in your head. The last thing I want him to do is attempt to extract it and copy my designs. I wish you'd have come to me."

"And what can you do?!" Drake suddenly shouted. "You're a blind man with a fancy stick and a robot!"

Demetri was silent for a moment. "In light of the pain I'm sure you're feeling, I'll disregard that comment," he finally stated. "When you're ready to be civil, contact me again. And come over immediately after you finish with Stark. I'll contact the others to make sure they stay on guard. Heaven only knows what will happen if that madman gets a hold of my amplifiers."

Demetri snapped his phone shut and gave a large sigh. He turned the phone over and over in his hand, lost in thought. Loki, the man with great power who had attacked the city only a few short years ago, was back. And if he had found out about the devices, the amplifiers, who knows what he would do? A whole army of superhumans to attack the human race with? They were supposed to be the best soldiers, after all... the cyborgs Demetri had inadvertently created. No. He wouldn't allow that to happen. He had to stop him... somehow.

Demetri was so caught up in his own thoughts that he nearly forget Kitania was there.

* * *

/

* * *

Drake collapsed to his knees, unable to hold back his tears any longer, and sobbed into his hands.

Brooke whimpered once more and craned her neck to catch sight of Drake. "Dragon? Don't fly away."

The balcony door opened and Stark sauntered back in. "Well, the Best Buy girl didn't know much besides the fact he said he's a good friend of ours. Ew. But I did get a date out of the deal. Of course, considering I'm going steady with Pepper, I had to decline, but..." he noted Brooke's bleeding arm and the distraught boy by his computer. "Okay, why is it I miss all the fun when I go out? What happened here? Hey, crazy chick, how'd you hurt yourself?"

Drake heard Stark return and tried his best to compose himself. He stood up, dried his eyes, and quickly headed for the elevators. "I'm sorry, Brooke... I just... I just can't."

"Dragon!" Brooke shrieked. "Beasty, stop him!"

Bruce shrugged. "Doesn't work like that, Brooke. I can't just make him stay. Sorry."

He reached to check on the stitched in her shoulder, but Brooke shrugged him away, catapulted over the back of the couch, and slid to a stop between the elevators and Drake. Effectively blocking his exit. A small girl against a much larger man. But she didn't back down.

Drake sighed. "Brooke, please move. I just... I wanna go home." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I don't want those guys to stand there watching me like that. Just... please... move."

"No running," Brooke pleaded. " _Please_ , Dragon. Enough running." She grasped at something, _anything_ , to let him know she wanted to help, whatever it took. But she couldn't find it. The arrows and lines were back, and with them the drums in her head.

She squinted and pressed a palm to her temple. No drums. Didn't want to dance with their sticks. Take them out. Drums burned like fire.

In a brief moment of lucidity, Brooke met Drake's eyes and pushed as much of a plea for help as she could through them. Without knowing it, she mentally emitted her emotions as well.

Drake immediately recognized the feeling of someone else inside his mind. He could feel Brooke's emotions and knew she was broadcasting them to him. "It's okay. Settle down." He spoke softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere. Not with you in this state."

Brooke heaved a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Dragon's arms around her, felt like brother-bear. But the memories didn't stop. The drums sped up and burned hotter.

" _I just have to go for a little while, Amber,"_ Curtis, the only kind one there. He had left her in the care of the nurses and strode for the elevator.

Brooke had tried to cry out, but the muzzle they placed on her mind held her still. But, inside, she had screamed. The elevator had shattered and Curtis had left with it. No more kind man. No more good things. Drums started after that. After the new doctor came. Then glass in her mind.

"Lies that pull us in," she mumbled. "They hold us down til we give up. Don't want to give up."

Drake winced at her words. He knew all too well the power of giving up to the lies. He hugged her close to him, protectively... the way he used to hold Paige. "Don't you dare give up, Brooke. Don't you give in. Never let them win. Never."

Brooke finally overcame her fears and emotions and her face turned stoic once more, even though her cheeks were still damp with tears. She turned her head to see Drake. "Dragon's nice."

Drake smiled at her and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "I know what it's like to live with the lies. To live with something stuck in your head. We make a good team, you and me. Even if you are a little animal." He playfully tousled her hair.

Brooke whined and fixed her hair. "Not an animal. Beasty, animal. Me, no."

"Hey!" Bruce called from across the room.

Tony laughed. "She's got you pegged, buddy boy. One good angry moment and you're gone, completely green, full of rage and... I'm gonna shut up now."

Bruce's expression said that was a good idea.

"Drake, Brooke, I have discovered a wonderful Midgardian food known as Ice Cream," Thor offered genially. "Would either of you care to join me in feasting on what Stark deems a gallon? Perhaps he even has a box or two of Pop-Tarts!"

Drake brightened at the thought of chowing down on something sweet. He hadn't had more than a few bites of food in days. "That sounds pretty good." He joined Thor in the kitchen. "Hey, lemme show you how to do it. Ya see, you toast the Pop-Tarts good, and then squish the ice cream between them. It's hot, cold, sweet, chewy, and creamy... all in one!"

To demonstrate, he rummaged through Stark's pantry until he found the Pop-Tarts, stuck two in the toaster, waited for them to pop up, and then put a scoop of ice cream between the two pastries. He then presented his concoction to the mighty god of thunder. "Try that. It's amazing."

Thor ate an entire one in a single bite and threw his hands up triumphantly. "Delicious! ANOTHER!" Thankfully, there was nothing to throw or he probably would have.

Brooke reached for Drake's half-eaten treat and snatched it from his hands. She stuffed it in her mouth and nodded appreciatively.

"Keep your filthy alien paws OFF my stuff!" Tony yelled, vaulting over a chair and dashing for the alcohol cupboard. "Your pals in New Mexico warned me about your propensity for breaking things, and there is _no way_ I'm letting you smash my best liquors. Or highly expensive crystal glassware. Or anything else in this _multi-million-dollar_ high-rise. So don't even think it, big boy."

Drake winced at the argument between the two heroes. He would rather be anywhere else in the world than standing between two raging superhumans, especially since one of said heroes was a mythical god.

He slowly slipped past them and made his way out to the balcony. He stood there for a few moments, staring down at the city below, before he noticed the guy standing aloof near the corner of the railing.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was out here." Drake turned to leave, but then recognized him. "Hey, you're Agent Barton, right? One of those guys that creep brainwashed." Drake sighed and looked away, trying to compose his next sentence, and then looked back. "I'm sorry, but what was it like? I'm sure you've heard about how that monster kidnapped my girl. Is that creep hurting her?"

Barton looked over his shoulder at the boy and shook his head. "It's not my favorite thing to talk about. And I doubt he's hurting her. He won't have to, she can't overpower him." He returned his sights to the bustling metropolis hundreds of feet below him. Paranoia was a hard thing to overcome, much as he tried. And besides, he saw things better from up high.

"You'd be surprised." Drake leaned over the railing, his hands gripping it so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Just so you know, I know what it's like to have creeps in my brain. Paige and I were part of an experimental procedure a couple of years ago. They implanted both of us with this special device. Some sort of amplifier that's supposed to strengthen our brainwaves. It gave her telepathy. Just today I found out I can control shadows. But, they did other stuff to us. Stuff we still don't know about. Yeah, I'm concerned with what that mythical creep could do to her mind, but I'm more concerned with what he might do to her brain. That guy... he thinks we're ants. If our own kind can cut us up and turn us into meat-puppets, what would that freak do?"

"I agree." Barton shrugged. "He is a monster. But something tells me he wouldn't use that staff on her. Me? I was a target of convenience. He chose her. Hand-selected. There's something bigger going on. Always is with him."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Drake sighed. "The bigger picture. She's a pawn, and I won't let her get hurt in his mad attempt at world conquest."

"If there's one thing I learned while he was in my head, it's that Loki has the potential to actually care about people. Unfortunately, he chooses to ignore it more often than not. Don't worry, we'll get your little princess back safe."

A crash from inside, and a growl from one of the big guys.

"No fights! Back off!" came Brooke's firm, well-supported cry.

Drake glanced over his shoulder at the fight inside. "I think I'll just ignore all that commotion for right now. I am not directly involved, therefore it is none of my business." He winced at Brooke's cry. "Nope. None of my business."

"Tony, get down!" Brooke yelled.

Barton dropped from the ledge that was his perch and started for the door, muttering, "What the heck...?"

Finally, curiosity got the best of Drake, and he followed Agent Barton inside, bracing himself for what he supposed was a clash of titans. If worse came to worse, he could always stand a bit behind Barton. At least he was human.


	10. Chapter 10

Barton and Drake walked in on quite the scene. Tony stood on the far counter, holding a tray of crystal glasses in one hand and balancing himself with the other. His eyes were trained on the real source of conflict.

In the middle of the room, Thor and Banner stood ready to throw blows, eyes flashing. Brooke stood between them, a single hand on each man's chest, and her feet bracing her to hold them apart. Mjolnir sat innocently at her feet. Her nostrils flared, belying her inner rage.

"What in the world happened?" Barton exclaimed.

Brooke's eyes shot daggers. "No talking, Hawk Man." The atmosphere in the room was so thick that it seemed like it might explode at any moment.

Drake took a step back, knowing a fight was ready to break loose. "Um... Brooke? You might want to move."

Brooke heard Dragon, she just didn't care. No fighting. She'd seen enough fighting.

"Think you can call me a supercilious medicine man and get away with it?" Bruce roared.

"Hey, don't rage monster my tower again!" Tony warned from his spot on the counter.

An evil grin spread across Bruce's face. "Okay. Call me what you want... little princess."

And that settled it. Thor pushed past Brooke's arm, and inadvertently sent her sprawling toward the couch. He settled his hands around Bruce's neck and squeezed, pushing the large man back toward a wall. They ended up on the floor instead.

Brooke bounded for them and grabbed at Thor's arm, but he pushed her aside. She hit the wall hard, lost her balance, and sank to the floor. On her hands and knees, Brooke lifted her eyes menacingly. "That's it."

She sprang to her feet and rushed to the men fighting on the floor, Bruce just barely managing to hold himself back from turning green. She caught one of Thor's arms with her legs, used her momentum to duck into a combat roll, and tore his arm from Bruce's neck.

Bruce gasped for air as Thor turned to regard the little girl with a big punch. She rushed him again, this time sending a kick to his abdomen.

"No fights!" Brooke shouted as Thor stumbled backwards.

"Be careful, tiny human. It is not wise to anger me."

"Not wise to anger me, either."

Thor reached to detain her before she did something atrocious, but Brooke ducked under his arm and jumped on his back. She wrapped her arm around his neck and held tight. Thor gripped her small hands in his big ones and flipped her over his head. She landed on her feet instead of her back, as he had probably expected.

One spin, and she was facing Thor, their hands still entwined. She gripped tighter and jumped, bringing her feet into contact with his abs again. She let go at the same time and backflipped to land in the center of the room as Thor staggered.

He raced for her with a roar.

Brooke gripped Mjolnir's handle and waited until Thor was almost upon her. A spin to get her balance and find momentum, and then Mjolnir made contact with Thor's chest.

He dented the wall as he hit it and slumped to the floor.

Tony, Bruce, and Hawkeye all stared at her with mouths agape. If their jaws had been able to come unhinged and fall to the floor, they probably would have.

* * *

/

* * *

 _Implanted a device?_ Kitania froze, on the verge of standing up and running, but instead choosing to sit in stunned silence. What device? What kind of person was he? She could not believe her bad luck. She had run away from that stupid, horrible situation only to find herself talking with a could-be serial killer. Just great.

She listened to his side of the conversation, already fully confused. He mentioned Stark like he didn't get along with the guy. And what did he mean by "the madman with the monsters"? That didn't sound promising. And amplifiers, what were they? As a pianist, the only things she could think of were the giant speakers she often used to magnify the sound of the keys.

Demetri hung up, but he didn't seem to notice her at all.

 _Buck up,_ Kitania scolded herself. _Just spit it out. It's now or never._ "They heal."

Demetri snapped back to attention when Kitania spoke. "What? Oh, your power. They heal? Wonderful. That's a wonderful power to have." He was obviously still distracted with his thoughts.

Kitania rolled her eyes and held in the tears. He didn't even care. She was an idiot to think he could care about her stupid superpower. He couldn't even focus long enough to really register what she said.

"Are you kidding?" she scoffed. "It's not _wonderful_. I'm a freak!" She stood and shoved her hands in her pockets. She had been a fool to share her secret. "Do what you will with the new information, just don't act like you care. Because, obviously, you don't."

"Wait! Kitania!" Demetri reached out a hand to stop her, but couldn't find her. "I'm sorry. You're right. That was really insensitive of me. I just have a lot on my mind right now. You're not a freak. Kitania?" He listened intently, searching for retreating footsteps. When he heard nothing, Demetri sighed heavily and slumped back against the bench. "Great job, De," he mumbled to himself. "Drive away the only girl who understands and actually speaks to you without money being involved. Great job."

He leaned his head back, removed his sunglasses, and placed a hand over his eyes. For a genius, he could be such an idiot sometimes.

Kitania spotted the man down the sidewalk, stopped dead in her tracks, and thought her heart would burst from the stress. It couldn't be. Not here. Not him. How had he made it all the way to New York? She knew replying to that email had been a stupid idea. She should have let it go. Now he was here, across the park from her, and she didn't know what to do.

So she turned back to Demetri. "You realize I'm still right here, don't you?"

She hoped her fear didn't show in her voice. If _that man_ so much as ventured into her peripheral vision, she would have to either book it or fight. Running sounded a lot better with each passing second, but she remained by the bench. Maybe the blind guy had some other superpower that could help her.

Demetri immediately lifted his hand from his eyes. "O-oh. Of course I knew that." He sat up and cleared his throat. "Of course. Please, come sit. I'm sorry if I offended you."

Kitania felt her muscles stiffen, getting ready to fight or flee. "I think I'd better stand right now, thanks. And I'm not easily offended." She glanced over her shoulder, and saw him getting closer. "Have you... have you actually paid a girl to talk to you?"

Demetri laughed. "Of course not. Women usually only like me for my money." He smiled, relaxing again. "Why don't you want to sit?" He noted the nervous tone in her voice. "Is everything alright?"

"Um... _well_..." Kitania gulped and slid her sleeves down over her palms. "Not really, no. You know that past we were talking about? The one that I have? I think it may have just caught up with me."

"Oh, dear." Demetri sat up straight and pulled his knife from his belt. "Kitania, I can help you, but you have to do exactly as I say."

He grabbed his white cane, folded it up, and put it away. Then, with a twist, what had been his knife was now a single metal rod, with the blade stashed somewhere inside.

"Come with me." He stood, dropped one end of the rod to the ground to use as his cane, and held out his free hand to Kitania. "Let's go for a walk. If anyone is following us, I'll be able to hear them. But, I need for you to walk in the grass. If you walk on the gravel, I'll hear both your footsteps and theirs and will not be able to find your pursuers as easily. I know I look like an ordinary blind man, but how often do looks deceive? Come."

Kitania managed to turn off the lumen in one of her palms and grabbed Demetri's hand with that one. "I've got it. Do exactly what you say. I won't let you down." She threw a glance to the man quickly progressing in their direction scowled. She'd like to see him _try_ to do something. Anything. Bring it on.

Demetri began using his metallic rod as a cane, and led Kitania away from the bench. He was careful to stick close to the grass, so Kitania could walk in it. He listened intently for the sound of footsteps behind him. "When I tell you to," he whispered, "go and hide behind a nearby tree. I don't want you getting hurt in the fight."

Kitania didn't know if she really wanted to hide. More like she wanted to shove _that man's_ face into the pavement. Over and over again. But, she knew he was stronger than she was, so she would do what Demetri asked.

She hazarded one more glance over her shoulder. Not far now. And he looked like he'd spotted her. That same glazed-over expression. That maniacal smile that preceded his creepy stalker come-ons. Even seeing him smirk like that made her want to jump in the shower and stay there until she was pruney all over.

Demetri felt Kitania tense. "I won't let him hurt you," he whispered. "How far away is he?"

"I don't know," Kitania didn't dare to look behind her again. "Couple hundred feet max. And closing fast." She clutched her free hand to her stomach. "I don't like this. I feel like I'm going to puke."

"You'll be fine, Kitania." Demetri whispered comfortingly. "Shh... Let me hear his footsteps."

Demetri kept his thumb on the trigger of his staff, ready to send out the blades and the rest of the rod in one swift motion. All he needed was the guy to get close enough. "When he gets within reaching distance, go and find somewhere to hide. I'll take care of the rest."

Kitania breathed. In and out. One last glance over her shoulder told her it was time to hightail it out of there. So she released Demetri's hand and dashed for the nearest wall of shrubbery. If there was one thing she could do, it was disappear. Even if it made her feel like a coward.

Demetri felt her release his hand and heard the footsteps behind him. He turned toward the man. "I would suggest you leave Kitania alone. I don't know who you are, or what your game is, but you'd best leave her out of it." With a _shink_ , the blades in Demetri's staff came out, each about a foot long. "If you know what's good for you, you'll turn and leave before this turns ugly."

Kitania peered out from behind the bushes. She could see and hear it all. This had to end better than last time.

Richard Edwards, creep that he was, stopped a foot or two away from Demetri and sneered. "This isn't your fight. I just need to talk to her." He turned to walk around Demetri entirely.

Demetri grinned. "You were warned."

With a snap, the rest of Demetri's six-foot-long Vibranium staff came hurling out of itself. With one swift motion, he slammed the metal into the man's shins, knocking him to the ground. He shoved one metal blade into the ground next to the man's head, too close to his ear for comfort. It was his final warning. "The next one takes your head clean off."

Kitania watched _Mr._ Edwards as he slipped a hand into a pocket and drew out a taser. Excruciatingly slow. Slow enough she knew he wouldn't make a single sound. So she took matters into her own hands. She raced across the grass and with a single kick sent the taser flying. The next kick made contact with Richard Edwards' gut.

And she just kept kicking, talking between impacts. "You idiot stalker! Get over yourself, curl up, and _DIE_!" Her final kick landed in a particularly sensitive area, and Richard groaned and curled into the fetal position. Served him right. But, then, his eyes opened to meet hers, and Kitania saw she had only made it worse. He'd never give up. One more kick to his kneecap, and then Kitania fled for her life.

Demetri stood, dumbfounded, as he tried to regain his bearings. He'd heard the scuffle. Kitania hadn't exactly followed the plan, and it had caused him to lose his sense of direction. He listened intently for the sound of the man on the ground. "I'll tell you what... how much would it take to get you to go away? I am a man of both money and power. Just name your price."

Richard chuckled. "Couple million. Might shut me up for a while. But it'll take a lot to stop me. She owes me."

"Hm. Why does she owe you, if you don't mind me asking? And, I think I can take care of that couple million. Tell you what, I'm a scientist and I'm looking for volunteers. It's just a little brain scan, really. And in exchange, you'll get your millions, and the girl. What do you say?" Demetri flipped the switch on his staff, sending the blades back in. He gave the staff a little twirl, letting it drop back down to the size of his cane. He leaned on it, nonchalant, and looked in the man's direction.

"Let's say she left a... permanent mark on my life and I've come to collect the note." He shrugged. "Couple mil _and_ the girl, you say? I'm in."

Demetri grinned. "Great! Let me just call my limo, which will personally transport you to our facility. Just a couple of tests, and she's all yours." With that, Demetri pulled out his phone, flipped it open, and pushed a button. "Yes, go ahead and send the car around."

Within minutes, a sleek black limousine came driving up and stopped at the curb nearby. Demetri gestured toward it, and walked to the front window. "I plan to walk home. Our new... friend... here wants to volunteer for project X. See that he receives the utmost care. And do everything you can to make him comfortable. Everything."

"Of course, sir." The driver held the door open for the strange dead-man-walking, knowing exactly what Demetri's instructions were.

As the limo pulled away and Demetri stood there, grinning from ear to ear, he knew poor Richard would never be heard from again.

Kitania stepped out from behind a tree, stunned and still terrified. "You... you let him get away! You offered him a ride! Do you know what he'll do to me? You just signed my death sentence!" She was yelling, but she no longer cared. Richard was still out there. She still wasn't safe.

Demetri's smile faded away as he heard Kitania screaming at him. "Calm down. He's not going where he thinks he is. I am not only a man of wealth, but of power. My men are taking care of him."

"What, like, to a prison?" Kitania flailed her arms, even though she knew Demetri couldn't see her exasperation. "He'll just escape. I _stabbed the guy with a pen_ and he still didn't give up. You think a measly cell is going to make any difference in the long run?!"

"He's not going to a cell. He's going somewhere _far_ worse. You're safe now." With that, Demetri gave his staff another twirl, folding it back into itself. He grabbed his white cane, folded it out, and began to walk in the other direction. "Come along, Kitania. We never finished out conversation."


	11. Chapter 11

Paige felt as if she were falling. She gasped and clung to him, trying to find some sort of stability. Everything around her seemed to swirl and fade away.

And then it was over. She felt the ground beneath her feet again. But, she still had her eyes closed tightly and her face buried in his shoulder.

 _Is it over? What_ _was_ _that?_

Loki smiled at the soft weight of her head against his chest. He looked around the familiar room. Had it really been just a few days since he had stolen her from this very spot? She had come so far toward trusting him. "It is over," he assured. "Open your eyes."

Paige opened her eyes to see her familiar purple curtains. She looked around and realized she was in her own room. She also realized she'd left her room in what she considered to be a mess. _Oh, goodness. Please excuse the mess, Your Highness._ She broadcast with a blush, _I wasn't expecting company._

She immediately pulled away from him, slammed a few barely-open drawers closed, and with a wave of her hand, telekinetically made her bed. After she was sure everything was in its proper place, she turned toward him. On the wall behind him hung her violins.

 _These are my violins._ She walked toward them and ran her fingers down the front of the acoustic one, then turned to smile at him. _I'm sure you can tell which one is which. That black box there is my amplifier, and those little devices down there are pedals. They help with the sound. Would it be too much to ask to bring all this back with us? If it is, I could just bring the acoustic. Something is always better than nothing._

Loki smiled at her. Such an enthusiastic response to seeing her instruments. He couldn't help but find himself amused.

Paige nervously glanced around her room, letting her gaze land on a photo of her family. That's when she remembered about her mother. _Mom..._ In a flash, Paige was out her bedroom door and down the stairs. _Mom! Mom, I'm home!_

She stopped short when she saw her mother passed out on the sofa, a half-empty bottle of vodka next to her and pouring out on the floor. Paige closed her eyes for a moment, clinching her fists at her side. All her mother knew how to do was drink. A bottle of wine to numb the pain, a quart of vodka to end it. Ever since Paige's father had died, alcohol had quickly become Mrs. Barnett's cure-all.

In a fury, Paige grabbed the vodka bottle and threw it at a nearby wall, shattering it. _You drunk!_ She screamed at her mother, knowing she was unable to hear her. _I get kidnapped and could be dead, and all you do is wallow in despair and drink yourself into a coma! Will that solve anything?_ Paige gripped at her hair and paced back and forth across her living room. Finally, she looked at her mother, stormed toward her, and shook her violently by the shoulders. _Wake up!_

"Wha-? Paige! Oh, darling, you're home!" Mrs. Barnett's words slurred due to her intoxication. The older woman wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, only to have Paige wrench away from her.

 _Don't you touch me._ She hissed. _Here I come all this way, worried sick that maybe you miss me,_ _maybe_ _you're out looking for me, and what do I find? I mean, it's only been four days! You've gone on vacations longer than that! You just needed an excuse to drink again, didn't you?_ _Didn't you_ _?!_

The end of Paige's speech fell on deaf ears. Her mother had passed out again.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Paige sulked over to the stairs and sat down on them. _Just take me away, Loki._ She broadcast only to him as she curled her knees up to her chest, _and never bring me back._

* * *

/

* * *

 _Far worse?_ Kitania wondered. It didn't take long to click. "You killed him?!" she paused. "You _killed_ him! You killed him. Hey, wait, this means I won't have to stab him with a pen again. Sweet. And what conversation? I feel like I've said more to you than anyone I've ever known. Feel lucky."

"I do feel lucky. And do keep down, Kitania. Do you want everyone in the park to know our business? I certainly don't." Demetri held his hand behind him, searching for hers. "Come and walk with me. I'll escort you home."

"Oh. No. Th-that's okay." Kitania stumbled for words. Why'd he have to be so nice? Why couldn't he have been a jerkoff that she could ignore?

 _Because then I'd be beaten and bruised, probably kidnapped by Mr. Edwards,_ she reminded herself. "I-I'll be fine. I'll get home myself. Thanks for the offer though."

"No, no. I insist." Demetri shook his hand, still waiting for hers. "I don't want any more things coming after you."

"Yeah, well, it was always just the one," Kitania confessed. "So I think I'll be fine. Anyone tries to mug me, I'll just blind them and break their fingers or something. So, no need to take me... um, home."

"Fine, but I should warn you that this _is_ New York City. Thugs don't travel solo, and they travel with guns. But, whatever. Go your own way home." Of course, Demetri wasn't going to let her go home alone. He planned to follow her, if nothing else. But, it would be much easier if she would just let him take her home. Footsteps tended to all sound the same on the streets of New York.

"Yeah. I'll do that." Kitania tried hard not to snap. "Thanks for all your help." She started off down the sidewalk, to nowhere in particular. She'd find something to do. Somewhere to go. She was a free woman now, after all.

Demetri waited until he could barely make out her footsteps to begin following her. He stayed a ways away, hoping that she wouldn't turn and look back.

Three hours after she had set out from the park, Kitania still had no idea where she was headed. Her usual stomping grounds (better known as alleys and dark pathways) weren't exactly the safest place to go right now, and besides she didn't want to go there while she was still so paranoid. So she chose to wander through the New York streets, occasionally peering in windows and wondering what it would be like to have money to buy a decent meal.

No opportunities to work for food presented themselves, and as much as she would like to trade her powers for something, she couldn't bring herself to do so. She had never been able to bring herself to do so. If she used her powers, it was out of compassion.

She rolled her eyes and moved on from the bakery window. What she wouldn't give for a cupcake. No, scratch that, for an _entire_ _cake_.

After the second time around the same block, Demetri figured she was trying to lose him. She kept stopping outside of restaurants or food shops. She must have been hungry and could not afford it. He decided to take a chance and went into one of the sandwich shops.

An hour later, he heard her pass by the bench he was sitting on. She must have been so focused on the shop across the street that she didn't see him. "Kitania!" He called out to get her attention. "Would you care to join me?"

Kitania startled at the sound of Demetri's voice and clutched her heart. It felt like it might explode. "Dude!" she exclaimed. "You can _not_ do that to me!"

Demetri laughed. "I'm sorry. I got you something to eat. You seem hungry. Come and sit." He held up a bag of food to ensure that she would come over.

Kitania eyed the bag in Demetri's hand. Oh, he was good. Bribing her with food. How had he known? She bit her bottom lip and tossed her head side to side, trying to decide what to do. "Is there dessert in there?" she finally asked.

"Hm. Dessert? No." Demetri held the bag out to her, taunting her with it, "But there is a turkey sandwich and some chips."

No dessert? What was life without dessert?

Kitania sighed heavily. "Guess greasy junk food will have to do." Really, she was hungry enough to eat a house, but that wasn't going to happen. And, hey, he had been nice so far so she really didn't think he was liable to slice her throat or slip her any kind of drug. She'd humor him for the time it took to finish her little snack, and then she'd disappear. At least, that was the plan.

"It's not junk food!" Demetri protested. "It is a finely made gourmet sandwich. I would never offer greasy fast food to anyone." He handed her the bag and leaned on his cane. "You still trying to make your way home? You passed by this bench three times before I called out to you."

"You have no idea how much I want junk food right now." Kitania settled onto the bench and snatched the bag from his grasp. "But this will have to do. And, about the home thing... I dunno. I've just been... you know... wandering around town. It's fun." She dropped her voice to barely above a whisper. "I guess."

Demetri looked in her direction. "Ya know, I have a spare room in my studio, if you'd like to stay a couple days until you get back on your feet."

Kitania choked on the first bite of her sandwich and pressed a hand to her chest to stop the throbbing. "W-what? I... I don't know what you mean."

Demetri shifted his cane nervously between his hands. "Well, you obviously don't have anywhere to stay. And I don't think you're too keen on sleeping out in the streets. I have a spare room you can stay in until you get your act together. But, if you accept my offer, we will of course have to lay down some ground rules. No stealing, no loud rock music... things like that."

Kitania chuckled and popped a chip into her mouth. "Okay, first of all I hate rock music. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm a rocker. Secondly, I detest stealing. I've never stolen anything in my life – not even a heart – and I don't plan on starting now. And lastly, why would I accept this offer? I barely know you."

Demetri shrugged. "I'm just trying to be a nice guy. You need a place to stay, I'm usually only there on weekends and holidays, so... why not? I mean, do I really seem like the kind of guy who can harm somebody?" He motioned towards himself, emphasizing his blindness.

Kitania laughed, for the first time in a long time. "Usually I'd say you couldn't harm a fly, but you're forgetting that I was watching when you beat the crap out of Mr. Edwards." She took another bite of food. "Your offer is tempting. Just... if I do this, just do me one favor? Check up on your friend from the phone call. Make sure they're okay."

Demetri smiled and stood. "Actually, I plan on paying him a visit." He sighed heavily. "I have done a lot of wrong that I need to make right. I fear my mistakes are finally catching up with me. Come, let me take you back to my studio. While you get settled, I'll make my way over to Stark Tower."

"Ooh, _studio_ ," Kitania stuffed the end of her sandwich in her mouth. "I hope it has a lot of food. I'm still starving."

"Really?" Demetri was shocked. That was a large sandwich. "When was the last time you ate?" He began walking again, his cane lightly swinging back and forth in front of him. "Um, Kitania? Would you mind telling me what street we're on?"

"Oh. Um, yeah, sure." She checked the nearest street sign and rattled the name off. "Wow. Didn't realize I was traveling that fast. Sorry."

"It's alright." Demetri turned and began to walk in the other direction. "My studio is this way."

It took them an hour to find the place. New York was a big city, full of people and loud noises. Demetri had grown too used to his limo service.

Finally, as they came upon the building he lived in, a doorman opened the door for him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Avril. How are you today?"

"Very well, thank you. Has my car come back yet?"

"Yes, sir. About an hour ago."

"Darn." He looked toward Kitania. "We could have just rode here. Oh, well. Come on up." He strode over to an elevator, waited for her to step inside, and then swiped a plastic card through a card reader.

"Welcome Demetri Avril," the computerized voice responded. Soon, a new computerized voice overpowered that of the usual digital welcome. "Welcome back, Sir. Your mother has been trying to reach you via email. She said she has a new shipment she wants you to inspect before it goes to market."

"Is it the new gloves?"

"Yes, sir. Those are the ones." The elevator dinged as it reached the top floor. The doors immediately opened to reveal a nice, yet scarcely decorated, penthouse studio. "Good. SID, I'm going back out for a little while. This is Kitania, and she is our guest. Allow her access to all the rooms, save mine. And do open the blinds. I'm sure it's far too dark in here for a sighted person."

"Right away, sir." Long, vertical blinds covering large picture windows immediately turned, giving the room a lot more light than it previously had.

"Here you are, Kitania. I hope you like it. Do mind my things, though. And I hope you don't mind the surveillance. There aren't any cameras in the bedrooms, of course, so you don't need to worry about that. I need to go talk to Mr. Stark now." He turned again and headed for the elevator. "SID, send the car around." And with that, Demetri disappeared into the elevator.

* * *

/

* * *

Drake had ducked behind the counter that Stark stood on. If it was good enough to protect the Iron Man, it was good enough to protect him. He heard the metallic ring of the hammer hitting the god, and the loud thud of said god hitting the wall. The ensuing silence is what drew him from his hiding place.

Drake peered around the corner of the counter, saw the startled faces, and looked at Brooke. She was holding Mjolnir. But, wasn't Thor the only one who could move it? "Hey, you picked it up. But you're so... small."

Brooke flipped Mjolnir in the air and caught it again. "Myeh-myeh and I are friends. Lightning was a brat. Myeh-myeh and I didn't like it."

"I know only... one maiden who called Mjolnir by this title, aside from you." Thor said, picking himself up from the ground. "A reminder to myself that I should remember my kindness and not begin a fight I have no reason to finish."

Brooke nodded and spun the hammer again, thoroughly enjoying herself.

"Does anyone else think this is unfair?" Tony asked. "Because I think this is unfair."

Drake stood up, a bit embarrassed by his cowardice. He watched Brooke twirl the mythical hammer above her head, as if it was as light as a feather. "Brooke, I think you should give Thor his hammer back now."

"Young Drake is correct." Thor extended a hand to summon the hammer, but Brooke held firm.

"Not done yet."

Thor furrowed his brow. "Brooke, release Mjolnir."

"No." Brooke hugged the hammer tighter to her chest.

Thor stepped to her side and stared down at her. "Please."

"Not gonna happen." Brooke shrugged.

Thor reached for the hammer and Brooke turned the other way, so he ended up wrapping his arms around her and grasping for the handle to his precious Mjolnir. Brooke held firm and managed to keep it away from him. So Thor settled for picking her up by using the arms he already had wrapped around her thin shoulders.

"Return the hammer, mortal."

Brooke winced. "Stop, Lightning."

"Brooke, let go of it," Drake said, taking a few steps toward the struggle. "You're going to get hurt. Quit being stubborn."

"Put me down, Lightning!" Brooke whined as Thor's grip tightened to hold her in place.

"Not until you have released Mjolnir!"

Brooke whined again, a high-pitched sound from the back of her throat. "Hurting!"

Drake's instinct to protect was thrown into overdrive when he heard her high-pitched scream. It sounded so much like Paige's scream.

Without thinking, Drake dashed over to the struggle and grabbed Brooke by her waist, instantly transforming them both into shadows. They turned black and melted into the floor, causing Thor to release Brooke, but also Brooke to release Mjolnir. Black sand swirled around on a plain of red, as large black creatures loomed over them.

Brooke heard voices as she melted with Drake.

First, Tony's voice a long way off. "Oh, way to go, big guy! Who knows where shadow boy just went. And he took your tiny human with him. This is all because you love your hammer too much, you do realize that right?"

Then, hisses close by. "Trespassers..." Their voices were eerie and breathy. Words spoken by creatures without mouths. "Why do you come here, humans? You who have form and flesh. Leave our world. Be gone!"

Drake held Brooke close to him. He could still see the others, formed around them by fading sand, but now they were the ones who were shadows, while the shadows were living and real.

Drake held her tight, and Brooke furrowed her brow. Didn't like what she heard. Didn't like when they talked like that. She turned her head to look. People who weren't people all around her. "Weird."

Drake felt a hand on his shoulder. A cold icy slime that ran down his arm. Fearing for Brooke's safety, he released her, sending her back to the others. She appeared in the same spot she had disappeared from. Drake, on the other hand, remained in the Shadow Lands.

"Trespasser. Do you think you can control us? Do you think you are worthy? Pathetic human." The icy darkness grabbed at him, enveloping him. He tried to curl up into a ball, trying to protect himself, but it was of no use. As he released a scream, the shadows entered him.

Brooke landed – or reappeared, maybe? – back in Stark Tower and blinked rapidly.

"Whoa! Hey!" Tony took a step back. "Where'd you come from?"

"Send me back!" Brooke cried. "Drake in trouble. Arrows screaming red, they'll kill him!"

"She is ill," Thor deduced.

As quickly as Brooke had appeared, Drake appeared next to her, laying flat on the floor with his eyes wide open. But, the dark green of his irises were gone, as well as the whites of his eyes. Everything was now a deep glassy black, and Drake wasn't breathing.

It was Tony's turn to be shocked.

Brooke was the first to collapse to her knees by Drake's side. She turned her head sideways and leaned her ear to his chest. "Not breathing."

"Oh, hey, I could jumpstart it!" Tony offered. "I'm sure I have a spare ARC reactor around here somewhere. Or Thor could just summon some lightning. Come on, buddy. Summon it. You got your hammer back! Do it!"

But Brooke was already starting CPR.

Drake woke with a gasp and sat up, an expression of pure horror on his face. His eyes slowly returned to their natural state. "What happened?" he gasped, looking at Brooke.

Brooke leaned back on her heels and cocked her head to one side. "Dragon went black."

"She thought you died or something," Tony piped up. "Thor here was so concerned he was going to restart you with lightning."

"You know full well I would not," Thor corrected.

Drake looked from one hero to another and sighed. "It was awful," he said as he tried to stand. "I thought those things were going to kill me. I guess they kinda did. Thanks, Brooke."

Brooke shrugged at Drake. "Breathing is good."

Tony snickered. "You know, I like this girl. We should keep her."

Drake tried to make his way over to the counter, but staggered in his walking. "I think... I think they did something to me," he panted, his breathing still ragged.

"Eyes full of black water," Brooke said innocently. She reached out her fingertips to brush against Drake's face, just beside his eye. "Dragon okay?"

"No. My head hurts. Like, really hurts." Drake gripped at the back of his head, where his implant rested under his skull. His head was pounding. "Ah! Get it out!" He stumbled against the counter in his pain.

"Agh! What do we do?" Tony freaked out as Drake leaned heavily against his counter. "We already tried CPR, right? Brooke, that's what you did. So, um... lightning time?"

"No," Thor argued firmly.

Brooke rolled her eyes and pressed a thumb into a pressure point on Drake's shoulder, sure to either make the pain go away or render him momentarily comatose. She couldn't remember which.

Drake's eyes rolled back and he dropped to the floor. At least inducing unconsciousness had cured his pain.

* * *

/

* * *

Drake could feel the icy grip of the shadows, even in his sleep.

"Do you want to control us so badly, human?" they hissed. "Then you will become one of us. Your soul will be required by your own hand. Every time you control us, we will take more of you."

* * *

/

* * *

Bruce entered with Cap on his heels, and they both stopped to look at the unconscious boy on the floor. Then to Brooke. And back to the boy.

"Pain," Brooke explained. She hopped up onto the counter and produced a Pop-Tart from behind the bar.

Thor dropped Mjolnir on a side table. "Allow me to join you in your feast." And he grabbed a brand new box of Pop-Tarts from the cabinet.

All the present Avengers, save Brooke and Thor who were still very intent on their Pop-Tarts, circled around the unconscious Drake.

" _Dang_ , girl!" Tony addressed Brooke without taking his eyes from Drake. "What'd you do? Kill him?"

"Shh! Dragon's sleeping!" Brooke instructed around her mouthful of food.

"I know I'm not up to speed on a lot of things," Cap said, his arms folded tightly around his chest, "but where did these two even come from?"

"The dumbwaiter," Tony replied with a pat on the man's back. "Keep up, Capsicle."

Steve reached a hand to rub at his head. "This is what I get for taking a couple days off."

Fifteen minutes later, Drake woke with a start. His head still throbbed. He groaned and sat up, his hand pressed to the back of his head. He looked up and saw everyone circled around him.

"I'm fine. I just have a headache." He tried to stand and placed a hand on the counter for support. He heard Brooke munching and looked over at her. "First you knock me out, then you eat snacks. What are you?"

Brooke shrugged and stuffed the end of her Pop-Tart into her mouth. "Crazy girl, glass in mind."

Thor laughed and slapped her on the back, which physically caused her to lose her balance.

"Hey, easy there!" Cap demanded. "She's like a twig compared to you. Be careful how hard you hit."

"Yeah, about that," Tony cleared his throat. "Crazy chick can heft the hammer."

"What?" Steve did a retake of the tiny girl next to the giant Asgardian. "She can... what? _I_ can't even lift the hammer! How the heck is she worthier than I am? Wait. Hold it. I just sounded like you." He pointed to Tony. "I have definitely stayed here too long."

Brooke rolled her eyes and grabbed another Pop-Tart as she addressed Drake. "Dragon okay?"

"I still have my headache." Drake held up his hand to stop Brooke before she could touch his shoulder again, "But, I'll be fine."

"Afraid?" Brooke asked, huddling back against the counter behind her and seeming to shrink in on herself. "Dragon afraid... of me?" She kept her expressive eyes downcast, unwilling to let him see how hurt she was.

Drake frowned. "No. I'm not afraid of you, Brooke. Just, next time warn me before you knock met out, okay?" He walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks for trying to get rid of my headache, though."

Brooke shrugged through the tears she tried to ignore and looked at Drake. "Glass in mind. Needed help. I tried."

"I know you did." Drake gently wiped her tears away with the side of his hand, "And it's not glass in my mind, Brooke. It's metal. But, I get what you're saying. Thanks." He hugged her a bit tighter, hoping to help calm her down.

Brooke choked lightly. "Suffocating." The word was barely out of her mouth when an alarm sounded and Tony suited up and dashed from the room. She looked around for Lightning, and couldn't find him. When had he gone? She turned to Drake. "Trouble?"

Drake glanced around as The Avengers raced off toward some sort of action. He growled. "If that coward is here, I'll kill him myself!"


	12. Chapter 12

Loki smiled again as he found himself exactly where he had meant to teleport from Paige's house. Thor's room in Stark Tower. Of course, no one but his oaf of a brother would be able to see him. Not even the infuriating mechanical butler. Once Thor decided to show up and speak to him, he would have only a few moments before _someone_ heard from the computer and decided to crash their party.

He settled on the bed and waited patiently. It didn't take long.

Thor barely squeezed through the door, some form of Midgardian sweet smearing a line beside his mouth. He stopped short and sucked in a deep breath. "Loki."

"Oh, you do remember my name? How daft of me to think you might have forgotten."

"This is the second time I have thought you dead. It no longer amazes me that you are not."

Loki chuckled as an alarm sounded. "The Iron Man's machine will have told him I am here. We have not long."

Thor reached a hand for him, but Loki shot up a green shield around himself and even Thor's giant mitt couldn't penetrate it. Thor backed off. "I am told you have taken a Midgardian woman from her home. This seems unlike you, brother."

"Not really. Think back on all I've done. I am not one to follow a pattern."

"I thought you above this."

"Then think again."

Thor sighed heavily. "Please, Loki. Do not harm her. There are those who care about her, and they would be devastated."

"I will not harm her." Loki was a bit surprised that Thor would think that of him, but it played into the torment he wished upon the giant buffoon. So he took his chance and added on to his sentence. "After all, why would I harm my favorite plaything?"

The look of shock and horror on Thor's face was satisfactory. He took a step forward. "No, Loki. Please."

Loki could already hear the Metal Man's footsteps in the hall, which signified his time to retreat. For now. He dropped the shield and was gone long before anyone intruded on their privacy. He wasn't in a mood to battle all the Avengers again. He didn't think he ever would be. At least, not all at one time. Many of them were stronger than they looked.

* * *

/

* * *

Drake raced after Stark, but arrived too late. The alarms silenced as quickly as they had begun. Drake gripped the doorframe of Thor's room. "Was he here?" He already knew the answer. " _Was he?!_ "

Thor sank onto his bed and buried his face in his hands. "His magic is stronger than when last we met. I could do naught to detain him, try as I might."

Brooke appeared in the doorway and narrowed her eyes. "Bad magic. Bad magic was here."

Thor nodded and kept his head down.

* * *

/

* * *

Kitania wasn't really sure what had just happened. Somehow she had gotten here, to this giant penthouse suite, and Demetri had left. She was strangely okay with that. Oh, and there was a talking computer. She did a 180, trying to recalibrate to the situation at hand. She decided questions might be in order.

"Um, SID?" She asked, hoping the computer would talk to her. It may not be human contact, but it was contact. "You still there?"

"Of course, madam." SIDNES replied. "Do you need something?"

Kitania beamed. "Oh. My. Gosh! You are so cool. Anyway, yeah, does D have any junk food or something sugary around here? I cannot tell you how much I want a cheesecake."

"There are snacks in the pantry and fifty-seven percent of a chocolate cake in the refrigerator." In the kitchen, doors to both the pantry and the fridge opened. "Help yourself to whatever you desire. And, if I may inquire, what may I refer to you as?"

Kitania smiled and dove for the refrigerator. "Oh, um, Kitania's fine. And is it okay if I eat all fifty-seven percent of this?" She slid the cake from the fridge and licked her lips. "For which I will probably need a fork."

A drawer containing silverware slid open. "I am not sure if Master Demetri would be pleased with that. His mother made that cake, a rare accomplishment for her."

"Hey, I heard that!" a woman's Russian-accented voice shouted from the other room. "Careful, SID. I'll deprogram you."

"My apologies, Doctor Sara. This is Miss Kitania."

Doctor Sara Avril walked into the kitchen carrying a large box. She had neck-length brown hair and was still wearing her lab coat. She set the box down on the table. "Pleasure to meet you, Kitania," she said with a smile. "You a friend of Demetri's?"


	13. Chapter 13

Loki reoriented himself to Paige's home and quickly stowed her musical trappings so that he might take them back to his fortress. It was then that he heard her tears. Tears of a broken heart. If anyone had harmed her, he'd...

Loki couldn't make it down the steps fast enough.

Paige heard his footsteps behind her and gave a heavy sigh. She stood, trying to wipe the tears from her face. _And here I thought she'd missed me._

She turned toward the railing, gripping it until her knuckles turned white, and scowled at where her mother lay on the sofa. That's when she noticed a vase on a nearby table. Wilted daisies barely peeked out over the rim. Still hot with anger, Paige lifted a hand, telekinetically lifted the vase, and dumped both flowers and stale water over her mother.

Mrs. Barnett gasped and tumbled off of the sofa. She looked helplessly up at her daughter through her wet, stringy hair.

Paige let the vase drop close to her mother, letting it shatter into pieces. Mrs. Barnett jolted at the sudden noise and turned to see what had happened, neither noticing nor feeling that her hand was covered in shards of glass.

 _Just so you know, mom, I'm leaving!_ Paige shouted into her mother's fuzzy mind, so full of anger that she began signing the words as well. _Not that it matters!_ She turned toward Loki and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder once again. _Take me as far away from this place as you possibly can._

Loki looked down at the inebriated woman who was supposed to love her only daughter and sneered in disgust. As Paige had requested, he teleported them away. Away from the life that his telepath had led. The life she had supposedly loved, only now he knew better.

As soon as their feet landed in the next location, he smoothed the hair back from her eyes and studied them, assuring himself she was well. "You have not fallen to harm?" he asked earnestly. "You are uninjured?"

Paige smiled a little when she felt him lightly sweep her hair and remaining tears away from her eyes. _I'm fine, my prince._ She hugged him, wanting only to be held. _I'm fine now. And thank you for that. It was beyond kind of you to let me say goodbye to her. If only she had been able to listen._ Paige buried her face in the side of his neck and simply stood there, letting him hold her.

Loki didn't dare move. She was so still and so small and so... trusting. It had been far too long since one had trusted him enough to hold him. Most ran away at the slightest glimpse of his face. This girl, this mortal, this _Paige_ was truly a beautifully unique specimen. To find trust for him so soon after he had taken her from her home was unfathomable.

He rested a hand on the back of her head and the other between her shoulder blades and allowed her a moment of silence.

Paige felt as he placed his hands on her head and back. She felt so safe in his strong arms. As she stood there, she began to remember the life she'd left behind.

"Why would they help you" Drake had asked her, "What do you want Mr. Stark to do for you? Build you a helmet like his? What about a ton foil hat? Will he make you one of those? I can do that, Paige."

"I'm sorry, Paige," Her boss had told her. "You have to work in the back. It would be too difficult to have you work at the front desk. There's plenty of behind-the-scenes work to do in the back, though. Sending emails, taping codes on the books. I'm sure you understand."

"Paige, put those down!" Her mother had scolded her as Paige telekinetically multi-tasked while making dinner one night. "No more of your magic tricks! Your grandmother is coming for dinner, and I don't want you scaring her. Don't do things like that in the house. Actually, don't do things like that period. It's... wrong. And try to stay out of people's heads, too."

"You know what I like about you, Paige?" Bruileo had taunted as he forced his way into her home on the island. "You can't scream."

Paige closed her eyes tighter as the memories washed over her in waves. But, now, the past couldn't hurt her anymore. She felt the strong embrace of the only one who ever understood her. The one whose heart and mind were so much like her own.

" _I want to help you,"_ Her prince had spoken into her mind. _"You want to know why you are this way, do you not? Allow me to assist you."_

" _I only wish to help."_ He had told her on another occasion. _"To show you the true extent of your great power. You are, after all, far mightier than you know."_

Paige pulled away from him a little, only enough to look into his eyes. Eyes that told of all the pain he, too, had experienced, and all the hurts those he loved had caused him. Eyes that showed her his soul and could look into her own.

Without thinking, Paige kissed him.

* * *

/

* * *

Half an hour later, Demetri arrived in front of Stark Tower. He took a deep breath as he heard his door open. He simply sat there.

"Is everything alright, sir?" the driver asked.

"I am not looking forward to speaking to old rivals about old mistakes." Without another word, Demetri grabbed his cane from his belt, unfolded it, stepped out of the car, and walked up to the front door of the tower. He pressed the button on the speaker. "JARVIS, this is Demetri Avril. I need to speak to Anthony... regarding Ms. Barnett."

* * *

/

* * *

"Sir, there's someone here to see you," JARVIS interrupted the scene in Thor's room.

"Hey, yo! _Not_ the time!" Tony silenced him. "Villainous stuff afoot, angry superheroes. Shut it, J."

"What do you mean 'his magic is stronger'?" Steve asked, always the logical one. "Is that even a thing?"

Drake immediately turned away from the door and leaned against a nearby wall. "He has Paige _and_ he's grown stronger?" He shook his head and ran his hand back through his hair, "What can we do now?"

Thor finally stood. "We find a way to outsmart him. It has to be done, I know this for certain. We smashed his invasion of Earth, we can surely protect a girl from his schemes."

* * *

/

* * *

Demetri stood outside the front doors, a little miffed that Anthony wouldn't let him in. he pushed the button on the speaker again. "JARVIS, I don't care if he's pouting. Tell him it's about Paige. …If you don't let me in, I'll hack you. You know I will."

* * *

/

* * *

"Sir," JARVIS interrupted again, "it's Demetrius Avril and I'm afraid he's insisting."

Drake's eyes widened as he heard who had arrived.

"Well, crap." Tony pulsed his fingers and turned for the door. "J, tell him I'll be done in a minute. And remind him I can out-hack him a million to one if he even tries to upset you, okay?"

"Of course, sir."

Brooke turned to Drake as Tony disappeared. "Demetrius?"

"Demetri. My friend and boss. Also rival of Stark Industries." He winced, thinking of how he was getting ready to be a guinea pig again. "This will not end well."

"Bad?" Brooke asked.

Steve scratched his head. "Wait. Demetri? Isn't he the guy who Tony rants about when he's on the news?"

Thor still seemed too upset to lend much to the conversation.

Drake nodded. "Yeah, they aren't exactly friends."

* * *

/

* * *

Demetri was getting ready to push the button on the speaker again when he heard the clunking of metal coming from inside.

"Well," he chuckled as the doors slid open, "if it isn't Anthony Stark in the flesh. I mean, I'm sure there's flesh in there somewhere. Come on, old friend. I know we're rivals, but isn't this a bit much? What can I do to you? I'm just a blind man." He smirked, knowing he was definitely playing at his rival's nerves.

"For your information, _Radar_ ," Tony stressed, "I was already dressed for the occasion. I've had a busy day. And you're only getting in here if you promise not to hack or steal anything."

Demetri scowled behind his sunglasses at the old nickname. "Ooh, name calling. We are having a bad day, aren't we? And how could you _ever_ think so lowly of me, Tony?" His voice was laced with sarcasm. "I would never." He suddenly turned serious again. "There are more pressing matters than our rivalry. I have information about Paige. Drake told me The Avengers are working to bring her back safe, and I have an idea as to why Loki kidnapped her. I would like to speak to you privately in one of your conference rooms."

Tony finally opened the door and allowed Demetri in. "I don't think the two of us in complete privacy is such a good idea, even if it is about the missing girl. Thor should be in on this, it is his brother after all. Oh, and the crazy chick. She is surprisingly helpful. Cap could sit in, I guess, but he wouldn't understand a word. We're still working on movies from the '70s. You okay if the big guy and the little woman sit in?" Of course, it wasn't really an option.

Demetri sighed heavily. "I suppose the others can come. But, only if you promise that no harm will come to me and that everything that is said will stay in the room. I have made a lot of mistakes, Tony, and my company hasn't always been as honest as it is now."

He followed Tony into the elevator and soon stepped out onto the top floor. He took a second to scan his surroundings, slowly moving his head from side to side. Then, he took a couple hesitant steps forward, clicking his tongue as he went. Another scan of the room, and he put his cane away.

"Drake, there you are." He walked directly towards him and wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. "You didn't tell them, did you?"

"No," Drake sighed. "I didn't tell them."

"Good. Then we will face this pain together." Demetri turned and looked toward Tony. "Lead the way."

* * *

/

* * *

Kitania grabbed a fork and peeled off a giant bite of cake before someone told her not to. "Um, friend isn't really... a term I would use." She stuffed the bite into her mouth and tried not to shrivel back into herself. This lady looked like she was on a mission, and she sounded a little frightening.

Dr. Sara laughed at the sight of the poor girl stuffing cake in her mouth. She quickly opened a cabinet door, pulled out a plate, and grabbed a spatula out of a container on the counter. "Child, you don't have to eat the whole thing in one bite." Her voice was sweet and motherly. "Here, how about a plate?"

She set the plate down and shrugged out of her coat. "SIDNES, where did my son run off to this time?"

"He said he was going to speak with Mr. Anthony Stark."

Dr. Sara sighed heavily. "Oh, no. What about this time?"

"He said it was an urgent matter. He received a call earlier from Master Drake, stating that Miss Paige was kidnapped. He feared that it was because of the implants and went-"

"That's enough!" Dr. Sara shouted, silencing the computerized voice.

"My apologies, madam," SID finally responded after a pause. "I did not think I was giving any information away."

"That'll be all, SIDNES."

A musical chime announced that SIDNES had gone into sleep mode.

"I'm sorry about him," Dr. Sara said, looking over at Kitania. "He's still a work in progress."

Kitania eyed the plate and thought about eating one piece at a time. But, chocolate. She disregarded the instruction Mrs. Avril had given and instead took smaller bites of the giant, delicious goodness on the platter before her.

"I don't mind him so much," she confessed. "It's nice to have someone to talk to, no matter how messed up they are."

"Hm." Dr. Sara sat down across from Kitania. "So, why are you here if you're not friends with my son?"

"Um," Kitania sank onto a seat and felt her posture shift to hide her from the outside world. "He offered. I didn't really have a safe place to stay. Reasons."

"Oh." Dr. Sara smiled at her. "My son has good judgment. He would not let you stay here if he did not trust you. Did he show you your room?"

Kitania shook her head. "He kinda dropped me and left. I didn't want to go too far, in case he got mad."

"Oh, he wouldn't get mad!" Dr. Sara laughed. "Come, and I'll show you your room."

Dr. Sara stood and led Kitania down a hall and into the spare bedroom. It was large, with the room design consisting of only the colors black and white. "Sorry for the simple designs. This is Demetri's place, and he doesn't care much for décor. With his ARGUS glasses on, he can see shadows. I think that's why he likes black and white. It allows him to see. Make yourself at home, child." With that, Dr. Sara turned and walked back out to the kitchen.

Kitania took in the furnishings she had never dreamed possible and gulped. This guy was, like, super rich. "Yeah. It's... it's fine," she mumbled to no one in particular. Her anxiety threatened to overpower her again, and she felt the light in her hands as it brightened due to her intense emotion. "SID? SID, please come back online."

"I am here, Miss Kitania," SID announced over the speakers. "Is there something you require?"

Kitania thought about what she had been about to request and decided a blind guy probably didn't have a piano. So she changed to her secondary idea.

"Play _Fur Elise_ by Ludwig von Beethoven," she instructed as she leapt onto the bed and sat Indian-style. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and poised her fingers as though she could create a piano keyboard from thin air. It was better than nothing, and _Fur Elise_ always helped her work out her anxiety. Or anger. Or any emotion, really, except sadness and loneliness. She waited for the music to begin.

Then her glowing hands hammered the melody out onto air like her life depended on it.

"Miss Kitania," SID interrupted, the music still playing in the background, "there is a keyboard piano in Master Demetri's room. You are not allowed to go in there, but perhaps Dr. Sara would get it for you."

Kitania nodded as she finished out the song and felt her hands dim to look regular again. A keyboard was better than nothing. Although, she much preferred _at least_ a baby grand. Ivory always sounded better than mechanized.

"Would... um, would you ask her for me?" Kitania curled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Such a large, spacious room made her feel so small and unimportant. Besides, SID was definitely more used to talking to the intimidating Russian scientist than she was.

"I will do my best."

Within moments, SID interrupted Dr. Sara in the kitchen. She was laying special cloth gloves out on the kitchen table.

"Dr. Sara, Miss Kitania would like to know if she has permission to play Master Demetri's keyboard piano."

"She just got here. I'm not having her snoop around in my son's room."

"She wants to know if you'll get it for her."

"If she wants it, tell her to come ask me herself. She has legs."

"Of course, madam."

SID came over the speakers in Kitania's room again. "Miss Kitania, Dr. Sara wants you to ask her yourself. She says you are a very able-bodied person, and wishes for you to go to the kitchen to speak with her."

Kitania felt the last notes drip into her soul and she smiled. Okay. She could do this. SID said the good doctor was going to play hardball, so she could ask. Really. She wasn't _that_ timid. Okay, so she could overcome her fear this time.

She somehow managed to propel herself to the kitchen, where she assumed the doctor would still be. She wasn't wrong. "Um... SID said... that is, if you wouldn't mind... um... sometimes... _usually_... playing the piano calms my nerves and SID said Demetri had a keyboard, which I guess is close enough but I don't want to go snooping and I really don't wanna make anyone around here angry so can I borrow the keyboard and would you get for me?" all her words came gushing out in one giant, run-on sentence so fast that she had to cross her fingers and hope that Mrs. Avril wouldn't make her repeat every last word.

Dr. Sara broke out laughing. "Take a breath, child!" she laughed. "Of course I'll get it for you. But, you must promise to be careful with it."

Dr. Sara stood and went into Demetri's room, leaving his door open behind her. Despite his blindness, his room was nothing but computer screens and tech.

"Here." Dr. Sara brought out the keyboard and took it to Kitania's room. "Have fun! If you need anything, let either me or SIDNES know." With that, she made her way back to the kitchen to continue organizing the special gloves.


	14. Chapter 14

Loki didn't move. The kiss was... unexpected. Soft and sweet, as though she had never kissed before. And completely genuine, not even borne of the traumatic events of the past hours. Strange. He had never meant to win her heart, at least not this quickly. He had thought it would take much, much longer. But, Paige had never been like other women.

Paige blushed as she pulled away. _I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that._

He felt the distance when she pulled away, but he would not pull her back. It would only alarm her. And he never wished to alarm her again. She had been terrified of him since the incident. He wouldn't risk the same outcome. So, instead, he offered her a rare genuine smile.

She turned away from him and walked to the window, consumed with her thoughts. Why had she kissed him? She still loved Drake. Didn't she?

Drake had saved her on the island. He had sacrificed himself for her. But, none of that was real. It was real to her! But... Drake had changed so much since then. She had powers far beyond what he could comprehend. She could move matter and minds with a mere thought. He couldn't do anything. The last words he spoke to her before she was kidnapped played over and over again in her head. Drake would never understand her. She knew that.

But, still... didn't she owe him loyalty? He had saved her. No... technically Eric and Minna had saved her. Drake was just a nice friend. A nice guy. So much distance had come between them since the project. She was superhuman, he was average.

Besides, she would never see him again. How did she know that? Well, because she didn't want to see him. Why should she be with someone who would only mock and make fun of her great power when she could be with one much stronger than herself? One who not only understood, but was willing to help her reach her full potential.

Paige reached out and grabbed an edge of the golden curtains, twisting the cloth nervously between her fingers as she stared out at the countryside.

"There is no need to apologize," Loki insisted. "I am not offended." He waited for a response he knew he would not get and instead cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. "Would you like to rest for a while before we begin your training?"

 _What?_ Paige asked, startled from her thoughts. She turned from the window. _No, I'm fine. I was just... remembering. We can start the training whenever._

She walked back over to him and smiled. Finally, she was getting somewhere. Her training was finally about to begin.

Loki smiled at her, wider now that the mischief had begun anew. "Alright. Catch."

He conjured a large melon midair on the other side of the room and waited to see how she would react. Reflexes were everything, even he knew that. And _he_ generally used his duplicates to avoid military situations. Not that he couldn't fight, oh no! It was more fun that way.

Without looking away from him, Paige held her arm out straight beside her, catching the melon with her telekinesis and causing it to hover midair. _Easy. Next?_

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you've been practicing, have you?" He reached through her telekinesis to make the melon disappear and instead conjured hundreds of eggs, each dropping from the ceiling at a different rate and in a different spot in the room.

Paige dashed around, trying to keep the eggs from falling, but her efforts were in vain. Soon, she was covered in the yellow sticky goo.

She turned around and glared at Loki. _That was a cruel trick! Do you think you'll get away with it so easily?_ She flipped her hair, trying to get the matted mess out of her face. _Oh, just you wait! I'll get you when you're sleeping! You'd better learn to sleep with one eye open!_

With a huff, she strode to the lavatory and slammed the door behind her. Soon, the sound of running water told that she was bathing.

 _Oh, yes, I have plans for you!_ She continued broadcasting, knowing he was still out there, _dropping eggs on me. Oh, you'll rue the day! Rue it! I'll come up with something far more evil for you. Mark my words, you'll regret the day you dropped eggs on me! Eggs! How awful! And in my bedroom, too. Savage! That mess better be cleaned up by the time I get back out there! Oh! Eggs!_

Loki cleaned up the eggs in a matter of seconds. Cleaning wasn't hard when you knew as many tricks as he did. He thought about interrupting her bath to end her tirade, but decided against it. She would only become that much more infuriated.

Instead, he took the opportunity of her absence to settle her violins and other equipment near the bed. He arranged it as it had been set up in her previous abode, careful not to break anything.

 _I only did so to see how extensively you have used your power,_ he broadcast, tired of the word "eggs". _I never meant to cover you in them._

Although, it had been amusing. He settled the last piece of equipment – her acoustic violin – gently in the center of the bed and smiled. Perfect. Paige would be very pleasantly surprised.

Then he left to attend to matters involving some very annoying superhuman warriors.

* * *

/

* * *

Brooke entered after Drake, holding Thor's hand – maybe to soothe him, maybe because he was one of the only people not scared of her – and tilted her head to study Demetri for a moment, reading his lips but saying nothing about it. She narrowed her eyes.

"Radar man," she finally blurted. "Hiding things."

"Not now, little one," Thor scolded as he, too, turned to Demetri. "What is this about?"

"Your psychotic family," Tony answered.

Thor flinched. "Watch your tongue, Metal Man, lest you find it missing."

"Kinda hard to watch," Tony threw back, keeping a level eye on Demetri. "Especially when it's so far down from my eyes. I'd get tired just trying, don't you think?"

Thor growled and ignored the sarcasm.

Demetri quickly walked to the front of the room. "JARVIS, this will be the _only_ time I'll allow you to do this, but please access the Avril Corporation's files. Override sequence Delta. It has a bio-lock." He felt for a nearby touchscreen and placed his hand on it. "It also has a voice lock." He then spoke a phrase in Russian. "Access all video files for Project X. it will tell you they don't exist. Override sequence Chi. As I speak, I want you to pull up the corresponding videos on the screen."

Demetri gave a sigh and turned to face everyone. "My name is Demetrius Avril. My company, AVCORP, specializes in military weaponry. Nearly three years ago, we created a device that, when implanted, was supposed to create a super-soldier."

The screen changed to show a 3D image of a metallic object which had four metal wires coming out of it.

"The device would amplify brain activity, modifying skills and honing them until they became powers. Once the device was implanted, it could not be removed without killing the patient. We tried."

The screen showed a video of an operation. As soon as the device was extracted from the brain, the patient flat-lined.

"Three years ago, we decided to try out the device on eight test subjects, myself included. It was my uncle's idea. Dr. Paileo was a sadistic man, and I'm glad he's dead. He had planned to extract the devices from us, terminating us, in an effort to own my company entirely. I had no idea he would torture us."

The screen changed again to show simultaneous implantations. Young men and women screamed and writhed in pain.

Drake looked at the screen and clenched his fists. "There," he pointed to the screen, "that's Paige. Those movements she's making with her hands, it's sign. She's saying... stop... please." He turned and glared at Demetri, ready to knock his friend to the ground.

"Now I said all that to say this," Demetri continued. "We all still have the implants. Look at how powerful we have become."

The screen showed videos of AVCORP's training processes. Overlapping voices told of names and powers.

"My name is... Eric Thompson... Adamina Thompson... Krystal Hartman... Kenna Dryden... Bruileo Dryden... Demetrius Avril... and I can... control metal... raise the dead... control liquids... control temperature... control electricity... draw to life."

The videos showed the participants using their abilities, each video showing how their powers had improved.

"Now, show what Paige can do." Demetri instructed.

The screen changed again to show Paige standing in front of the camera, holding white cards.

 _ **MY NAME IS PAIGE BARNETT**_. She let the card drop to the floor. _**I AM A TELEPATH.**_

The video changed to show Paige sitting at a table, a female scientist across from her. "Move the glass, Paige."

Paige easily telekinetically moved the glass that sat in front of her.

"Good. Now, don't spill the water." The scientist poured water into the glass. "Move the glass."

Paige easily moved the glass again, the water remaining still the entire time. She looked up at the scientist, her expressions changing as if she was speaking.

"You're bored? Well, these tests are not for your entertainment. Move it again."

Paige looked away from the scientist for a moment, then looked back with fury in her eyes. She stood, lifting her hands and causing the scientist to hover in the air. The poor woman struggled in midair, while the others fled from the room. Paige tossed the scientist across the room and watched as she, too, fled.

With a smirk, Paige leaned against the table, picked up the glass of water, and took a sip. She then looked at the camera and signed.

"My name is Paige Barnett," Drake translated. "I am a telepath."

Demetri sighed. "Can you imagine what Loki could do if he got his hands on this type of power? All he needs to do is brainwash a couple of my scientists, get them to implant the devices into already trained soldiers, brainwash them, and he'd have his own super-soldier army. You thought fighting those sky monsters was tough, imagine fighting your own kind. They look like you, act like you, and think like you. He very easily could rule the world. I believe he kidnapped Paige because she is the first of this kind. Her powers and abilities far surpass what any of my fellow participants can do. What is a little fire and ice if you can control minds and matter?"

Brooke glanced to Drake and shook her head. A single finger trailed the scar behind her ear. "Not glass in mind. Spider in mind?" she moved her head to glare at Demetri. "Radar put it there."

Thor was still trying to compute the whole video, his brows furrowed in deep concentration. He didn't bother to correct her.

Demetri turned his head to look toward Brooke. "There's no need for name calling. Besides, _I'm_ not the one who put it there. You forget, I have one too. I was an experiment too."

"It's fine, De. Brooke went through her own experimentation. She gets it. And that's probably why she doesn't trust you. Heck, I'm not sure _I_ trust you."

Demetri glared towards Drake. "After all I've done for you? You forget, Drake Kier, that _I_ am the one who pays your bills. The one who puts food on your table. Without me, where would you be?"

"The Institute of Technology." Drake flatly replied.

Demetri didn't say anything. He felt completely betrayed.

"I think perhaps we should all – how do you phrase it, Metal Man? Take a step back and reevaluate?" Thor finally stood and began to pace. "I know my brother and his tricks, but how would he have known about this... this... instrument? That certainly would not be his only motive, either. If you think of it, Loki is a great magician. He balances many balls in the air and never drops one, always concentrating on more than one plan. We must try, at least, to think as he does. What does he want most?"

"Love," Brooke answered before anyone could say anything.

Tony choked and looked down at the girl. "Love? Loki? You really are crazy, small person. And, De, just because I let you rant doesn't mean you get to take over this whole meeting and insult my guests. She calls that guy," he pointed to Drake, "Dragon. And that one," to Thor this time, "Lightning. Say you're sorry."

Demetri scoffed and sat down in one of the chairs. "Sorry." His apology was forced, but it was the best he could give.

"Love?" Drake asked, looking down at Brooke. "Of all things, why love? And why with _my girlfriend_? He can go find his own woman if that's what he wants. As to how he found out," He looked at the group again, "Paige has a tendency to... broadcast... her thoughts into the minds of others. She doesn't always realize she's doing it. Perhaps he was nearby and heard her."

"All people need love," Brooke said wistfully, turning to stare out the giant windows. A host of tears gathered in the corner of her eye.

Tony and Thor stared at her for a minute, until Thor broke his gaze and spoke. "Loki cannot have been here long. I would have felt his magic long before now."

"But you said he was stronger this time than he was before." Drake commented as he walked over to join Brooke at the window. "Perhaps he was able to hide it from you." He looked down at Brooke. "Hey, are you okay?" Drake whispered.

Brooke shook her head and sniffed to keep the tears back. "Love," she said simply. "Everyone wants it, crazies don't get it."

Drake pulled Brooke into an embrace. "Hey, you're not crazy. And I'm sure there's a great guy for you. Don't cry."

Brooke nodded once and sniffed back her tears.

"Touching," Tony interrupted. "Thor, address the stronger magic thing."

Thor stepped to the center of attention and let his hands drop at his sides. "Though my brother's magic is stronger now than before, I would have felt his presence on Midgard, as I feel it now. It is not something I can track to his exact location, but rather more of a knowing." He tapped the side of his giant blonde head. "Up here."

Since Drake was preoccupied with Brooke, Demetri took his opportunity to speak. "So, does your 'knowing' give us a general location to where they are? Maybe a state? A country? Something? Are they even on this side of the world?"

Thor shifted uncomfortably. "I can sense him in the realm, and I can feel him faintly. But, with his magic, this could mean that he is across your world from us or that he has tried to cloak his position."

"With what we know of him, I think it's safe to bet the latter," Tony interrupted. "I say we work off that assumption. I'll get JARVIS on it, and crazy chick can do her 'arrows and lines' thing. Oh, and De, why don't you get SID on it as well. No time to waste on a petty feud. Especially since we all know I'm right, and better, and will win in the end."

Brooke tilted her head. "SID?"

"Oh really? That coming from the guy who needed an alien force to keep a piece of shrapnel out of his heart. Meanwhile, I _invented_ superhumans." Demetri challenged.

"SID is short for SIDNES," Drake explained to Brooke. "It means Simulated Intelligence Defense Network for Emergency Situations. He's like JARVIS, but... different."

Brooke nodded and watched Tony's face turn red. Like a tomato. A very red tomato.

"Uh, sorry, but Capsicle's got you beat there. He was a superhuman in the forties. And it is not an _alien_ force!" Tony snapped. "It is very much human, just undiscovered. Until my dad, of course. At least I don't go around ink-smearing the community with my stupid etch-a-sketches! And where do you get off insulting my guests _and_ me in the same ten minutes? Just get out of my house and get to work."

"Etch-a-sketches!" Demetri was immediately on his feet. With a flick of his wrist, a black dagger was out of his sleeve and flying towards Tony's face. It barely missed. "I may be blind, friend, but I never miss. And had it not been for _me_ , you lot would still be stuck with your heads in the sand wondering what that madman could possibly be doing on earth."

"De. Shut up." Drake said, turning from the window, "before you get hurt. Angry superheroes don't make for good company."

Demetri huffed and snapped his white cane open. "Fine. Drake, if you want some _real_ company, _someone with some sense_ , you know where to fine me." He left the conference room, slamming the door behind him. He was gone from the building before the others ever left the room.

"Ugh! That man is so frustrating!" Tony said, sauntering to the bar and pouring himself a glass of... something. He downed it in one swallow and went for another.

"Not frustrating," Brooke corrected. She watched the doors where he had disappeared and shrugged. "Confusing."

Thor laughed and sank onto the couch, finally done with his pacing.

Drake glanced at the superheroes, and then at the door Demetri had left through. "Thanks for your help guys. I'll be back in a couple days to see how things are going. But, right now I think I should go help Demetri." He turned, gave a quick hug to Brooke, and quickly dashed out the door after his friend.

Brooke watched Dragon leave and shook her head slowly. "Don't like this. Radar not worth trust."

"Couldn't agree more," Tony saluted her with his glass, accidentally sloshing some of the liquid onto the counter.

Thor took Brooke by the shoulders and propelled her toward the couch. "Why do you not sleep, tiny human? I have not seen you close your eyes to rest since our first encounter, and it is best not to interrupt the Iron Man while he is in such a dour mood."

Brooke took the advice and laid down, throwing one last look to the giant blonde warrior. "Thanks, Lightning."

* * *

/

* * *

Kitania bit her lower lip to hold in a cry of glee and hugged the keyboard. It had been too long. But, she couldn't play right now. It was rude to ignore Demetri's mother. Especially after all she'd done.

Kitania shuffled back to the kitchen and propped her elbows against the counter. "So, uh, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Sorting," Dr. Sara stated, laying a pair of white gloves on a stack of others. "These are special gloves. Can withstand extreme temperatures. Come, watch and see."

With that, Dr. Sara walked over to the stove and turned a burner on high. While it was heating up, she slipped on one of the white gloves. The gloves were paper-thin and felt like silk. Once the burner glowed red, Dr. Sara placed her hand directly on the burner.

She shrugged. "I can't feel a thing." Dr. Sara turned the burner off and showed Kitania the glove. It was still white. "Wanna try?"

Kitania studied the glove and then the burner. She faced her palms toward herself, and thankfully they didn't light up. She looked to the burner again.

She wondered how expansively they had stress-tested the gloves. What if she could hold her hands there until they burst into flame? Would that stop the never-ending suffering of her power? Would it melt away the pain of knowing she would never be normal, never have friends, never love?

She knew the answer. No, it wouldn't. It wouldn't cure her. It wouldn't bring back any semblance of normalcy. She was doomed to live like this forever.

"Probably not such a great idea to let me try," she answered quickly, and put her hands palms-down on the counter.

Dr. Sara shrugged and walked back over to the table.

A ding from the elevator, followed by the slamming of a door, told her that Demetri was home.


	15. Chapter 15

Demetri was just getting in his limo when Drake burst through the front doors of the tower.

"De! Wait!"

Demetri sat down in the car and looked up toward Drake. "Ah, so you have decided to come join me. Good."

"Well, I figured you might need some help with SID. And it was getting pretty intense in there." Drake opened the other door for himself and sat down next to his friend. Within moments, the limo pulled away, heading back to Demetri's studio.

"If Tony thinks he can get away with insulting me," Demetri huffed, "that old tin can has another thing coming. Just because he lights up like a tree, he thinks he owns the world."

"Um, he kinda does."

Demetri growled. "Maybe the most popular parts, but I own all the secret matters of the military. Just because his father was a genius, doesn't mean that he is."

"But, he kinda is."

"Would you be on _my_ side for once?!"

"I'm just stating a fact, bro."

Once the two arrived at the high-rise and had gone up to Demetri's studio, Demetri went directly to his room and slammed the door. Drake, on the other hand, went into the kitchen.

"Hey." Drake said as he entered the kitchen. "What's up, Doc?"

"I just got in the shipment of Temp Gloves from the lab," Dr. Sara explained.

"Ooh. Fashionable tech." Drake commented as he made his way toward the fridge. As he turned back toward the table, soda in hand, he noticed Kitania. "Oh, hey. I've never seen you before. I'm Drake." He smiled and held out his hand to her.

Kitania had been so preoccupied she hadn't heard him come in, and when he spoke it made her jump. She clattered off the stool and wrapped a hand around the other arm. So thankful her hood was still up, causing her hair to fall toward her face.

She examined his outstretched hand and swallowed, all her defenses building back up. He wasn't a bad looking guy, which usually spelled trouble for her. At least in her experience. So she nodded at him with what she hoped was a faint smile and pushed past him, back to her room. She knew for a fact that her hands would light up if she stayed there too long.

With a burst of emotions she hadn't thought she still possessed, Kitania settled herself at the keyboard, put her hands to their positions, and let the music overwhelm her. Each hand moved in time to the rhythm in her head, sounding more and more like a lonely music box the longer she played. She poured her worry, fear, and loneliness into the song. Whoever he was, he would probably never speak to her again.

And she didn't know if she was okay with that.

Drake had been left staring dumbly after the strange girl. "What's up with her?" he asked, glancing at the doctor.

Dr. Sara simply shrugged and continued organizing her gloves.

Soon, beautiful piano melodies flowed from the back of the studio.

"Dude, I've never heard De play like that."

"That is not my son," Dr. Sara stated, her eyes never leaving her task.

Curiosity got the best of Drake and he walked to the guest bedroom. He waited to speak until the girl finished the piece. "That was really great. You're really talented."

Kitania heard the compliment, but she had never been good at receiving them. She shrugged. "I guess. I prefer the classics, but sometimes I sing too. Music is life." She turned halfway, keeping her eyes down and her hood up, refusing to make eye contact. "You want to hear something more contemporary?"

Drake shrugged and walked over to her. "Sure. Anything you want to play is fine with me." He stooped to see her face under the hood. "It's not raining indoors," he joked with a smile.

Kitania ducked her head, still not looking him in the eye. She had problems looking any man in the eye after what Mr. Edwards had tried to do. "It's always raining," she countered. Before he could question her cryptic answer, she put her hands to the keyboard and started in with the first chord.

She took a deep breath. " _I can't sleep tonight / Wide awake and so confused / Everything's in line / But I am bruised. / I need a voice to echo / I need a light to take me home / I kinda need a hero / Is it you?_ "

Kitania's voice sailed through the first verse and through the pre-chorus, crescendoing to new heights. " _Can you be my nightingale? / Sing to me, I know you're there. / You could be my sanity, / But bring me peace / Sing me to sleep / Say you'll be my nightingale._ "

She sang the second verse and another chorus, then put her whole heart into the bridge, feeling every emotion as it sailed through her fingers to the keys. " _I don't know what I'd do without you / Your words are like a whisper cutting through / As long as you are with me here tonight / I'm good._ " She slowed, hitting the chord only once before she sang through the line. " _Can you be my nightingale? / Sing to me, I know you're there._ " Her fingers flew into action again, begging for someone to save her, " _You could be my sanity, / But bring me peace / Sing me to sleep / Say you'll be my nightingale!_ "

She calmed then, bringing the melodic chords down to one final dim echo in the silent room. She closed her eyes and breathed easier.

As the girl had sung, Drake was instantly taken back to memories of Paige. He remembered how the wonderful strong notes of Paige's violin used to sail through the air. He remembered how he used to sing while she played, the two making beautiful songs together. He remembered saving up every penny he could spare to pay for the repairs she needed for her electric violin. He remembered the Christmas he had given it back to her, and the smile that lit her face. Tears sprung to Drake's eyes as he listened.

"That was beautiful," he said when she had finished, his voice breaking. "Excuse me." With a sniffle, he left the room, going across the hall to Demetri's room.

Demetri glanced in the direction of the door when he heard it open. "Go away." His voice was laced with bitterness.

"Naw, man. It's me. I... I just..." Drake couldn't hold back any longer and began to sob. He sat down at the foot of Demetri's bed and let the tears wrack his body.

"Hey..." Demetri sat up and wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. "We'll get her back, my friend. I promise."

"How can you promise that?"

"Because I know Tony. He has the tenacity of a bulldog. And The Avengers are the best group of superheroes this world has ever had. They fought off that lunatic once, they can fight him again. Don't lose hope, Drake."

* * *

/

* * *

Paige calmed a bit at hearing Loki's voice in her mind. She knew it would be the closest thing to an apology she would get.

Soon, she opened the door to the lavatory and peeked out, making sure he wasn't looking. But, he was gone. Paige stepped out, dripping wet and wearing only a towel, and slipped into the closet to get dressed. Within minutes, she walked out wearing jeans, flats, and a cute purple t-shirt. Her hair was wrapped in the towel.

As she turned to make her way towards her bed, she saw all of her equipment laid out as it had been in her home. And there, in the center of her bed, lay her acoustic violin.

Paige smiled and picked it up. It had been days since she had played, and days were far too long.

She set the violin down again, quickly tried to dry her hair with her towel, and let her damp hair hang down her back. Then, she picked her violin up again. With a couple of strokes with her bow to make sure it was still tuned, she began to play.

A beautiful melody filled the air, overwhelming her senses. Nothing else existed because nothing else was needed. She began to sway back and forth as she played, letting the song sweep her away. It had been far too long since her musical lover had danced with her. Her violin was her lover, and this was their love affair.

The song ended and Paige let the final note resonate off of the stone around her. It faded away as life and reality took its place. A soft smile lit her face. It had been far too long.

Loki's errand didn't take long, and he returned in time to hear beautiful melodies floating from Paige's room. He smiled. She was indeed talented.

He stopped outside her door and leaned against the wall beside it. As he raised the shields that would keep his idiot brother and his henchmen from finding the well-protected fortress, Loki listened to her songs. The lilting notes of the acoustic violin did something to his heart that nothing, save Paige herself, had managed to do in quite a long time. They began to melt the ice.

Paige smiled and packed her acoustic violin back in its case. As much as she loved its classical charm, her electric violin still captured her heart.

At took a few minutes for Paige to get all of her equipment plugged in. Pedals were plugged into varying ports, while the final port was occupied by the cord that led to her electric violin. She pulled her bow across the strings, letting the higher trill of the tinnier sound ring through the speaker behind her. She turned a knob which turned down the sound, taking the stone around her into consideration. Another few notes, to make sure she was in the right key, and then…

A few staccato notes to establish the beat, and a press of a pedal to put it on loop. Then, a harmony, created by sharp distorted notes laced with electricity. It was also put on loop. Soon, a quick lively melody rang out over the other sounds, reminding one of the original sound of the classic violin. And yet the trained ear could easily pick up on the difference. The melody, too, was laced with electricity.

The melody was repeated a few times, and then, as quick as everything began, another press of a pedal silenced it, letting a distorted electric rock riff take its place.

Putting the rock riff harmony on loop, she quickly added the rock melody, the distorted notes showing their defiance to anything that claimed that violin was a classical instrument. The riff began to display its power, showing off the mischief it had caused to the original melody. It dared the lively melody to challenge it. Challenge accepted.

The piece changed, going back to the former lively melody. The loops that had been established with it returned, taking the place of the rock riff entirely. The melody showed off what it could do. It, too, was strong, with sharp powerful notes that pierced the air.

But, then the rock riff was back, fighting for its spot in the limelight, its power and harshness overwhelming the lively melody and silencing it. Tension built again with repeated staccato notes. The war had begun.

A short rest, the calm before the storm. And then… her violin suddenly screamed with sound and passion as the lively melody returned with vengeance, the rock riff still looping in the background. Together, the two parts of the same song complemented each other beautifully.

But, then the lively melody had to tote its achievement over the rock riff. Short and bright staccato notes ridiculed the riff, daring it to rise to the new challenge it had posed. A press of a pedal created two violins that played simultaneously. The feud was still on. Rock and classical sang in unison as the tension built again.

With another high note, the two parts became one again, playing together, with the lively melody winning out over the rock riff. A press of a pedal ended the song, letting one single high note resonate off of the stone.

Loki listened to the war of classic and strange, straightening to hear better. This must have been what she referred to when she spoke of "electric violin". Her heart and soul poured into the melody, the war of feelings and hurts escalating to a final crescendo. The last high note reverberated on the stone surrounding them.

He waited for the note to silence, and then he opened the door and returned to his little telepath.

Paige jolted when the door opened. She thought she'd been alone. Surely, he'd heard her vibrant song.

 _So, what do you think? I told you it was a bit... modern._ She reached behind her and turned the volume down on her amplifier, turning off the ring-back that came from simply holding her violin. _Was it too jarring for you? If you don't like it, I can turn it off. I know you're probably used to the sound of the acoustic violin._ Paige was actually very self-conscious of her playing.

"It was... different. But enjoyable." Loki held back his smirk, realizing that she probably felt vulnerable. Music did that to those who loved it. Made them vulnerable. "I would very much like to hear what else you have in store up there in that beautiful head of yours."

Paige smiled. _Of course. Perhaps I should start off with something more classical. I know I said I wasn't much like Vivaldi, but I try._

She reached behind her and turned the volume up on her amplifier again, just enough so that her song could be heard as well. Then, she played a couple notes, tuned her violin, and played a couple more. Perfect.

 _My rendition of Vivaldi's "Winter"_.

The song started out in the usual manner. Short staccato notes were quickly put on loop. Another set of short notes joined the others. Another few sets joined those, creating the sound of many violins playing at once.

Then, with the press of a pedal, the loops became silent. She began to play a slow and sad melody that was not a part of the original piece at all. This melody soon gained tempo, becoming lively and happy. With the press of a pedal, she was able to add shorter notes to the looping lively tune.

A smile crossed her face as a crescendo led into a faster tempo and a more beautiful melody. She began to sway with the music, letting it take her away... only to be led back into "Winter", which silenced her happier tune. The long sad melody became passionate, quickly switching back to the staccato notes. Her smile died as the music changed, mirroring the transitions.

Another crescendo led back into the happier melody, with "Winter" continuing to play in the background. Her smile returned, and she began to move with the music again. A flourish of strong notes took over, letting "Winter" die away. Her whole body seemed as if it would burst from the passion of her soul, and yet she remained in control.

Then, down the scale back into "Winter". The familiar staccato notes finished out the song.

Paige opened her eyes and smiled. Perfect.

Loki smiled and watched her as she performed, eyes closed most of the time. Truly, the music ran in her veins, and he had never seen anything quite so beautiful as a woman enjoying her passion. A passion for music, in this case. It lit up her face and invaded her muscles, causing her to sway with the rhythm. When she finished, Loki could honestly say he was sorry she had.

"You should play more often," he said gently, quietly.

Paige blushed a bit and smiled at his comment. _I'll play for you whenever you want me to._ she offered.

Reconsidering her previous selections, Paige decided to put her electric violin away. Instead, she took her acoustic violin back out, played a couple notes, and began to play a beautiful slow song. The wood rang with the high strong notes.

Once again, Paige let the music carry her away, and slowly swayed in time with the song.

Loki smiled at the offer and made sure to veil his thoughts to have a moment of privacy as she soared through the next song. He knew he had let the veil slip once or twice, and sloppiness wouldn't do at this moment.

 _That would be impossible, little telepath,_ he said to himself, _for I would never wish you to cease your beautiful music._

He smiled widely as she finished and stepped toward her, looking down into her eyes. "I would very much appreciate if you would play again for me. Some other time, perhaps?"

 _Of course, my prince_. Paige nodded and began to put her equipment away. _All you need to do is ask, and I'll gladly play for you._

She gathered her equipment into the corner by the window, to keep all the stuff out of the way. As she turned, she noticed the beautiful sunset outside. She walked to the window, opened the casement again, and placed her hand on the barrier. The green glow of the shield shimmered against her hand.

 _Hm. Brute force isn't going to break this barrier, is it? I bet even the strength of your brother couldn't break it, much less my weak telekinetic blasts._ Paige turned and crossed her arms, looking her prince over. She looked from him, to the barrier, back to him, and back to the barrier. _Perhaps brain over brawn? There is a trick to this. It's only an illusion, is it not?_

She turned back toward the window, placed her hand on the barrier, and closed her eyes, concentrating on the energy flowing through it. It took all of her concentration. But, after a few minutes, she smiled.

 _I can feel the ebb and flow of the energy. A slight tremor that's barely noticeable, but it's there. Like the vibration of sound on stone._ Paige opened her eyes and looked at him. _If I can harness that energy and control it, I bet I could break your shield._

Loki smiled at her persistence. "Hm. I doubt it. It will not relent until I command it to be so." He stared out at the sunset, silently adoring her wish to understand how his mind worked. After all, that was how the shield was controlled. "Would you like to see the sunset from the field, my little telepath?"

Paige nodded enthusiastically, her smile brightening her face. _Yes, I would love that. It's been days since I've been out in the fresh air. And I would like to see the countryside firsthand._


	16. Chapter 16

Loki turned and slowly made his way to the door, mostly wanting to see if Paige would follow. For he knew if he captured her attention, he was one step closer to capturing her heart.

Paige turned and followed him. _What, no teleportation?_ She teased. _Good. I've been wanting to see the rest of this place. It's a shame I've not been free to wander the halls._

Loki smirked and finally turned to see her. She had followed, after all. "Allow you to see the rest of the fortress whilst you were so eager to flee? I would truly be a fool to have done so." He stopped and waited for her to catch up.

Paige shrugged. _It's not so much that I was eager to flee, but rather that I was sick of being in that room._ She looked around her, marveling at the ancient stone halls. _So, where are we? Are we still on Earth? Or have you kidnapped me entirely away?_

"How was I supposed to know you would not flee? As you Midgardians say, I am not a mind reader." He smirked and gave a small shrug. "Or perhaps I should use a different metaphor." He offered her his arm with a small nod and a twinkle in his eyes. "This is Lyndhurst Castle. Perhaps you've heard of it or.. .read of it? No?"

Paige blushed a bit and slipped her arm through his. But, when he told her their location, she stopped dead in her tracks.

 _Wait... Lyndhurst?_ _This_ _is_ _Lyndhurst_ _?! Oh, my gosh! My father used to bring me here when I was little. Most of the rooms were locked ,though. Oh, my gosh... how did you manage to get_ _Lyndhurst_ _for us? Just us. Oh, my gosh. This is fantastic!_ She turned and hugged him, nearly bursting with joy. _To think I've been in Lyndhurst this whole time!_

Loki chuckled. "A bit of trickery was involved." He held up a hand before she could ask or protest. "Do not fret, I harmed no one while purloining this property. We will not be disturbed here, and I doubt the infamous Avengers would think to seek us out here." He rolled his eyes. Sometimes his brother and friends could be such idiots. "But, in answer to your question, yes. This is Lyndhurst."

Paige noticed when he rolled his eyes. _You don't hold them in very high opinion, do you? I don't blame you. They did ruin your plans the last time you were here._ She continued walking again, taking in the beauty around her. _Have you ever_ _told_ _your brother why you tried to take over Earth? I mean, about the whole "fate worse than death" thing? Surely he'd understand._

" _Tell_ him?" Loki scoffed. "I have spent my entire life living in his shadow. Why would I try to explain to him something he could never understand?" He shook his head. "No, it would never work now. Not after what I've done."

Paige lightly slid her hand down his arm until she was holding his hand. She didn't mind how cold his skin was. _But he's your brother. Wouldn't he at least care to know what you've been through?_ She sighed and shrugged. _But, I do understand what you mean. When I told my mother about the tortures I went through, she responded with "Oh, I'm sure it was all necessary, dear. Those doctors knew what they were doing. You're just exaggerating."_ Paige narrowed her eyes and held his hand tighter. _I guess only certain people in this world were gifted with understanding._

Loki intertwined his fingers with hers. Yes, certain people were gifted with understanding. Paige was one of the few. Her understanding went well beyond her mortal mind. She knew what it was like to be tortured, to hurt. To feel betrayed.

"Let us speak of happier matters," he changed the subject, directing their steps toward the door to the outside world. The lawn would be perfectly manicured, he had seen to it that the groundskeeper remained on schedule, without ever knowing he and Paige were there. He smiled to himself. Mischief, indeed.

Paige smiled when she saw the beautiful lawns. Their walk through the halls of the castle had taken time, and now the sun was nearly set. All around them, in the air, flew delicate fireflies, lighting up every now and again.

 _This is all so beautiful,_ Paige commented, _Thank you... for everything._ She walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, smiling at the beauty around her. As she sat there, a firefly landed on the grass in front of her, and she snatched it. _Do you have creatures like this on Asgard? The ancient peoples used to think these insects were fairies, lit up by magic. But, it's all very scientific. They contain luminescent chemicals that light up when combined. The insect can control when it lights up. They glow to communicate with each other. Lovers calling out across the field, never once using word or sound._

Loki watched her play with the tiny mortal creature and folded his hands behind his back. "We do not have such creatures. However, when the moon shines brightly on the garden my mother planted, her Moonflowers bloom brightly. They are my favorite."

Paige released the firefly from her hands and smiled up at her prince. _When you take me there, you'll have to show me. And, while we're on the subject of the Queen, what is she like? Do you think she'll like me?_

* * *

/

* * *

Well now she'd really done it. Kitania sighed and moved to flop onto the bed. She'd run him off, just like every other potential friend she'd ever had. Why was she so stupid? She should have known better than to try to sing something. He had started crying. _Crying_ , for Pete's sake! Sure, she'd heard of music moving people to tears, but his weren't tears of joy or emotional attachment. They were tears of pain.

And she, better than anyone, knew the difference.

She curled her knees to her chest as tears welled up in her own eyes, gathering for the things she'd lost. Eyes closed, tears streaming down her cheeks, she sang to herself. A song she had learned to appreciate and relate to a long time ago.

" _Home is behind / The world ahead / And there are many paths to tread / Through shadow / To the edge of night / Until the stars are all alight / Mist and shadow / Cloud and shade / All shall fade / All shall fade."_

She didn't know why she felt compelled to, but Kitania always kept a knife in her bag. A sharp one. Probably due to the stalker Demetri had recently taken care of. And in case she ever went too far down the slippery slope that depression set before her. Not that it would do any good. She pulled it out now, toying with it. Rolling it over and over in her hands. She couldn't hear anyone else in the house. The blade glinted against the bright overhead light.

While Drake sobbed in the room across the hall, he did not realize he was controlling the shadows around him. Or, rather, were they controlling him?

A dark shade slipped away from him, and into the room across the hall. It gathered into a corner of Kitania's room, taking on the shape of a human, but remaining merely a shadow. It watched her for a moment before it spoke.

"You shouldn't do that," a soft voice, barely noticeable, hissed. It did not hiss in an evil tone, but rather more like as if a snake were speaking.

Tears still streaming down her cheeks, Kitania heard a whisper from the corner. Instinct took over.

She stood, spun, and threw the knife. Thankfully, it slipped through a shadow and embedded itself in a wall, hurting no one. Her respiration doubled and she backed toward the opposite wall. "What are you? Who sent you?"

"I am darkness, sent by my master," the shadow hissed. "The bitterness in you radiates like fire. Why were you going to hurt yourself?"

Kitania rolled her eyes and swiped at the tears, still in defense mode. "It's not like it would have worked anyway." She pulled her arms around herself in a tight hug, shriveling into herself at the sight of this weird shadow creature in her room. "I'm not bitter, just... scared. And confused. And who's your master, huh? If he cares so much, why didn't he come, instead?"

"My master is detained." The shadow disappeared from where it stood in the corner and reappeared on the wall behind Kitania, now closer to her. "He grieves over the loss of the one he loves. He is being comforted by his friend, across the hall."

"I can't trust anything you say," Kitania deduced. "Darkness brings lies, wanna know how I know that? I've been acquainted with you for a long time, Darkness. I know the song of your people. This. This right here..." She turned the volume on the keyboard all the way up and crashed her fingers against the keyboard to create an eerie tune, "is the song you crave. But I also know that Darkness can't exist where there's light, where there's good and not bitterness. So you know what? Take this!"

Kitania turned on him, her flat palm facing his dark form, and flexed her fingers until every bit of light inside of her ripped out in a beam of spectacular white. Healing energy sapped her strength, bit by bit, and then she collapsed to the floor, utterly spent.

As Kitania blasted the shadow with light, it did not scream. Instead, a piercing scream could be heard from across the hall.

Drake, suddenly overwhelmed with pain, screamed loudly and collapsed to the floor, convulsing violently.

"Drake? Are you alright?" Demetri reached down and felt that his friend was violently shaking. "Mama! Mama, come quick!"

Dr. Sara rushed to the back of the studio and stood staring at the two unconscious young people. Drake, who was still convulsing, demanded her attention. "Demetri, Kitania is also unconscious. Go check on her."

De stood up and went into the room across the hall. He stooped down and began gently shaking her. "Kitania, wake up."

Someone called to her from the fog beyond her unconscious state, and Kitania climbed the cliff inside her mind to get to it. She thought she recognized the voice, but she couldn't be sure. She was so tired. She had thrust so much healing energy into the shadow that she thought she might have finally done it. Killed herself.

Instead, she found herself climbing from the fog in her mind to reach out to whoever had summoned her. As consciousness hit her, so did the ache that always followed a severe use of her power. She gripped her stomach and groaned, rolling her head to the other side to try to dull the pain. As per usual, it didn't work. All she wanted to do was sleep.

"Mama, she's awake but unresponsive," Demetri called. "What should I do?"

"Call for our people." Dr. Sara stated, still kneeling next to Drake. "We'll take them to the lab and run some tests. This can't be a coincidence."

It took half an hour for what appeared to be an ambulance to arrive. Men in EMT clothes picked the two unconscious kids up, placed them on stretchers, and wheeled them downstairs. An hour later, Demetri was sitting in a hospital-like room, waiting for Kitania to wake.

Meanwhile, his mother was still working on reviving the living shadow.


	17. Chapter 17

Loki knew it was time to come clean. He'd have to tell the truth, for once in his life. "She would have adored you," he said quietly. He couldn't bring himself to say the words that would make her absence the absolute reality. It would only crush him all over again.

 _Oh, I'm sorry._ Paige recognized the pain in his voice. She knew what it was like to lose a parent. Especially one so loved.

She reached up and gently grabbed his arm, trying to hold his hand again. Once she was successful, she moved over so he could sit down next to her. _I think we are more alike than either of us realize,_ she stated after a long moment of silence. _And perhaps it's not such a bad thing._

Loki allowed himself to sit beside her. The last time he had sat in a garden with a woman, it had been his mother beside him. Consoling him for some great punishment he had brought on his own head. She had always been compassionate.

"I still feel her," he confessed. "I know she watches over me, despite the misgivings she always had about how I used my magic. She taught me. She knew me better than anyone, myself included."

Paige wrapped an arm around him and leaned her head against his shoulder. _My dad was like that. He was the only one who ever really understood me. My mom was always too busy working, which was ironic because my dad was a lawyer. When I was little, he used to let me play under his desk while he was working. He didn't even care how distracting I was, he let me stay there anyway. He used to read to me, and he was the one who bought me my first violin. My mother couldn't care less about "my need to express myself"._

Paige sighed, remembering what had killed her father. She buried her face in Loki's shoulder, trying to forget. Trying not to blame him. _I miss him._

"You may blame me if you wish," is what Loki wanted to say, but he didn't. Instead, he did what he had always done to hide his hurt.

A host of fireflies suddenly sprouted from the ground and landed on a nearby shrub, making it appear as though fairies had chosen to visit Midgard, after all. He smiled and nudged Paige's chin in that direction. He would hold them there as long as it took to lighten the mood.

Paige looked at the fireflies and smiled, realizing he was trying to distract her from her thoughts. _It's beautiful... but there's no need to be cruel,_ she teased. _Let them go._

She sat up and dried her eyes, where tears had begun to form. Then, she looked at him. If he wanted a lighter mood, he was about to get it. _So, about me not fleeing..._ Paige stood and sprinted off, broadcasting her inner laughter. She quickly ducked behind a tree. _Just two rules... no lights._ The motion-sensitive lights of the garden suddenly turned off, making the field all the darker. _And no magic. Well, not if you use it to cheat. Now, come find me._ Paige quickly darted from tree to tree, hoping to lose him.

Loki chuckled softly and closed his eyes, despite the darkness. He listened to her footsteps as she dashed back and forth around trees and bushes. How amateur.

Within moments, he had calculated her position. He quickly teleported to a spot directly behind her and folded his hands behind his back, waiting for her to turn and see him only inches from her.

As Paige stood behind a tree, she felt a sudden change in the energy behind her. She knew he was there, but didn't want him to know she knew. A sudden blast of telekinetic energy would be enough to knock him off balance, giving her a chance to escape. So, that's exactly what she did. Without turning around, Paige sent a blast of energy directly at him, and used the small space of time she now had to dash across the field and clamber up into a tree.

 _You'll have to try harder than that. You're not the only one with tricks. And I did say_ _magic_ _, didn't I? Telepathy is not magic._ She smirked at him in the darkness.

If that's how she wanted to play it, Loki could play right along. Now he was prepared for the use of her telekinesis and therefore could push it away next time.

It took him longer to hear the rustling of the leaves than it had to hear her footsteps, but he was able to pinpoint exactly where she had stopped. Her escalated breaths also helped point out her exact location. With a bit of effort, Loki teleported himself to the very branch she was on, landing her on his lap, and wrapped his arms around her middle.

"I can do this forever, Paige," he chuckled softly into her hair.

Paige gasped when she felt him behind her and his arms around her. _Then why don't you?_ She smiled and leaned back against him, sighing happily. Until...

A loud crack told that the strength of the branch had given way, sending them both to the ground. Paige, reflexes as sharp as ever, cushioned their fall with her telekinesis. They still fell, just not as hard. Paige found herself lying on her back on top of her prince.

 _I guess the tree didn't like us._ She rolled over and looked at him. _Are you alright?_

Loki hid his smile and tucked his amusement back inside his mind. "More than alright. And you? You are unharmed?"

He quickly wiggled out from underneath her to check for any lacerations or bruises. When he saw none he breathed easier. Until he heard the hiss of thrusters in the still night air. His face hardened into a mask of disgust as a bolt of lightning lit the night sky. Of course they would choose now to locate him.

He tucked his arms back around Paige and pulled her close to him. "Go into the woods and find a suitable hiding place. Do not show yourself until I come for you. Is this clear?" Realizing he sounded a bit harsh, Loki ran a finger down Paige's jawline. "Promise me, Paige. Please."

 _Yes, I promise._

Paige bolted into the nearby woods, where she hid behind a fallen tree. She was still close enough to the edge of the tree-line that she could see the field. The lights in the garden came back on, ensuring she could see the action. Paige desperately wanted to help him, but she had promised to remain hidden.

Loki made sure she made it to the woods before he turned to face the oncoming storm. A flash of red and gold soared around the side of a tower as he strode to the center of the lawn. He changed to his battle armor and summoned his spear as he walked. If it was a battle they desired...

Thor landed near the entrance to the castle and immediately spotted his brother. He and the Iron Man arrived a few feet in front of him at exactly the same time.

Metal Moron raised one of those disgusting repulsor beams as though he could truly threaten him. "Game's up, Medieval Times. Where do you have her tied up?"

Loki rolled his eyes. He barely understood the reference. "This isn't really about the girl, is it?" He feigned boredom.

"Brother-"

"I am _not_ your brother, Odinson!" Loki raged.

Iron Man moved to walk away. Toward the woods. "I'll let you work out your Doctor Phil moment. She's gotta be around here somewhere."

Loki would have stopped him, but that would have made it look like he cared. So instead he put a shield of invisibility around his beautiful telepath and hoped it was enough. "How did you find me, Thor?" he spat.

"A friend of mine told us that red arrows pointed this way," Thor explained.

Loki chortled. "Ah, yes. Your new mortal plaything. The worthy little girl whose mind has fled. Tell me, is she more invigorating than your Jane? Is she better?"

"She is not ill, Loki, nor insane. Men without knowledge have opened her mind and mistreated it. Is this not similar to what you and I have experienced?"

"Oh, so you would not treat her mind as they have? You would be more cautious with her, is that it?"

"I would respect her as she deserves. Would you so swiftly mistreat one so fragile?"

"I would teach them how to ravish her mind until there is nothing left."

Thor reached behind him and Mjolnir flew into his hand. "Watch your words, Loki. I will not tolerate your threats against those I cherish."

"Cherish? You cherish her, do you? As much as Jane? Will you now instruct the mortals on how to protect their own?" Loki gripped his spear until his knuckles turned white.

Thor shrugged his shoulders as though he was preparing for battle. "I like to think I would protect them as they should be protected."

"Then hear this, oh _great warrior_. When I am king, I will imprison you so far beneath the palace that even Heimdall would never hear your screams. Then, when you feel you are so weak that you cannot even breathe, I will tear you limb from limb. Slowly, until your pain is so excruciating you wish for something as sweet as death." He smirked wickedly. "And I will force both Jane and your new mortal—Brooke, isn't it?—to watch."

Thor roared at his brother and threw a bolt of lightning at his head, no longer able to control his rage. Loki ducked aside and the bolt went sprawling into the woods. "Is that all you have?"

/

Paige saw Iron Man walking towards her. He was full of tech, so he surely had heat sensors. But, that could be fixed.

All at once, Iron Man's suit powered down, the blackout caused by Paige's telepathy.

 _What do you want from us?_ She hoped her broadcast would penetrate through the metal of his helmet. _Please, Mr. Stark, leave us alone. I don't want to have to fight you._

"Fight you?" Tony was thoroughly confused, both about the voice in his head and the sudden shut-down of his suit. "I'm here to help you." Quietly, he spoke to JARVIS. "J, what's going on here? Why don't we have power?"

 _I don't want your help. And_ _I'm_ _the one controlling your suit. Don't bother trying to talk to JARVIS, he can't hear you. Leave now, or I'll crush you!_ Paige lifted her hands and focused on the metal surrounding Iron Man's arms and legs. The metal slowly began to dent and cave in. _I don't want to hurt you, Mr. Stark. Please, leave._

Just then, a bolt of lightning shot towards her, striking the tree next to her. Paige was knocked to the ground by the blast. As she tried to regain her senses, she could hear the wood of the tree breaking. Fearing for her life, she quickly tried to vault over the log she had been hiding behind. The burnt tree came crashing to the ground, trapping her left leg between the two fallen trees.

A piercing scream echoed through the minds of those around her, so loud that one would think he had heard the scream with his ears instead of with his mind.

In excruciating pain, Paige cried out for her prince. _Loki!_

The suit powered back up and Tony assessed the situation quickly. He raced to the tree ensnaring the girl and pulled first one, then the other, from the ground around her leg. It had to be severely broken, if not crushed. He reached to pick her up. She needed a hospital.

/

Loki heard the scream first, and then her frantic voice inside his mind. His telepath was hurt. He spun toward the sound. Oh, no. The woods. Why had he not thought the bolt would enter the woods? He knew the answer: because he never thought it would come near his telepath.

"Loki, don't," Thor begged.

But Loki already had. Three dozen life-like clones sprouted up around Thor at various points along the green lawn. The tall blond man spun to try to find the real Loki among them, but he was not. Loki had already teleported into the woods.

One bolt from his spear took care of the Metal Man who had just succeeded in freeing the branches from around Paige's leg. He went careening farther into the woods and would not be back in time to "save" her.

Paige screamed again, a squeaking scream, when Iron Man moved the trees. She was getting ready to push him away with a blast of telekinetic energy when a blue blast of energy beat her to it. _Loki... my leg. I can't move. It hurts._

Loki flicked his wrist to store the spear, and slid one arm under her thighs, one behind her back. She wrapped her arms tightly around him as he picked her up, the movement causing another squeaking scream to escape her lips. She was hurt, and needed help. They couldn't stay, not with Thor so outraged.

So Loki teleported them elsewhere.


	18. Chapter 18

The feeling of falling during teleportation only increased Paige's pain. Tears poured from her eyes as she buried her face in his chest. The pain reminded her of the pain she had felt from AVCORP's drill. But, this pain was stronger. She was drugged back then. This time, she was wide awake.

Loki laid her gently on an ornate settee and smoothed her hair away from her face. "I know it hurts," he confessed. He flicked a wrist, conjuring a full bottle of wine from thin air. He pressed it into her hand. "Drink as much of this as you can without causing yourself to fall ill. What comes next will hurt me just as much as it hurts you. And I am sorry."

Paige looked at the bottle of wine with hesitation. _You know how much I despise drinking._ She tipped it up to her mouth and took a large swallow. _But I think I know what you're about to do._ She gripped the back of the settee with her free hand until her knuckles turned white. _Do it. Just do it. I can take it._

Loki studied her eyes, saw her determination. He hadn't lied. He didn't want to do this. But he had to. He placed a hand on her crushed leg and concentrated. The first SNAP! of bone returning to its place nauseated him, but he knew he had to keep going.

Paige drew in a sharp breath when he placed his hand on her leg. His cool touch felt like needles piercing her skin. When her bones began to move back into place, Paige couldn't help but scream again. This was the one time she was thankful she was a mute. Her squeaking screams would be heard by no one else. Her inner scream, however, was as loud and sharp as a real one.

 _Stop!_ She begged. _I lied, I lied! I can't take it!_ Running on instinct alone, Paige sent a strong blast of telekinetic energy at him, trying to force him to let go.

Loki swallowed and pushed away the energy. "My apologies, little one. I must finish the work. Not long now." The scream in his mind echoed, and he was hard pressed to ignore it.

Paige continued screaming. _Loki,_ _please_ _! Stop!_

Even still, he pressed on, the bones snapping and cracking as they melded back together. "Thor will pay for what he's done."

She gasped when she heard him speak of Thor. This could be her one chance to get Loki to stop healing her, if she played it right. _Yes! Your brother! Your wonderful, horrible brother! He should pay! Rightfully so! Far more than this! He should have known better than to strike not only a lady, but a mortal one at that! You should go after him right now!_

Loki released her leg, only half done healing her. She could be right. Perhaps he should go back for his brother before the oaf retreated back into his hole.

She gave a large sigh of relief and let her head hang back over the arm of the chair. _Meanwhile,_ she mentally groaned, _I shall try to finish off this bottle of wine._

He held her gaze, wanting to believe she meant every word she said but less sure when her words came out monstrous. The Paige he knew would never ask him to hurt someone so fully, but he would take her at her word anyway. Because _he_ wanted Thor to pay. Dearly.

Loki teleported away before she could take back her words and found himself facing Thor's retreating back. "Do you have any idea how much harm you've done her?" he screamed.

Thor turned and wielded Mjolnir as if to strike. He remained like that, hammer in midair, waiting for Loki to say something else.

And say something else he did. "As you have caused her so much hurt, I will make you writhe in anguish. You swore to me that you cherish these mortals, these weaklings. You protect them, do you not? Then I can only imagine your pain when you are unable to protect those you claim are most worthy." He shook his head slowly and prepared to leave before Thor could hit him with a lightning bolt. He'd let his cryptic message stew for a while before he acted on it. He wanted Thor to know he was coming.

"Loki, I never intended to harm her," Thor answered, lowering Mjolnir to his side and finally letting it drop. "Indeed, her betrothed would harm me himself if he knew what I have done."

Loki stopped everything. "Betrothed?"

"To a man called Drake."

"Drake," Loki scoffed. "Well then, Odinson, let it be known to this Drake that she is _mine_ now. She claims me as her own, and I always protect what is mine from those that wish to steal it away." He took a step closer, emboldened by his own frustration. "Tell him that he can no longer have her, as she has been claimed by a better man than he will ever be. Tell him that she is no longer a prisoner, but my companion of her own will. Let it be publicly acknowledged that she loves him no longer."

"Please, Loki, be reasonable." Thor extended a hand as if to draw him in.

"This has gone far beyond reason. Leave us be and go back to those worthy of your concern." Loki studied him with a shake of his head. "You will never see me coming."

* * *

/

* * *

Kitania breathed in a deep breath as he senses returned to her. She had no idea how long she'd been out this time. She had kind of been hoping for forever. Her head still ached, but most of the dull pain in the rest of her body was gone. She pried one eye open and promptly screamed. She bolted upright and pulled at the wires around her. _No. No, this can_ _not_ _be happening._

Everything was too sterile. Too clean. She had known this day would come and they couldn't run tests on her. They'd never let her walk away a free woman if they did. People had been looking for the Fountain of Youth for centuries. They couldn't know that it had manifested itself in the form of a homeless young woman with trust issues and clinical depression.

More wires. More tugging. Another scream ripped from her throat, this time echoing her thoughts. "No!"

"Calm down, Kitania," Demetri said as he jumped to his feet and gripped the rails of her hospital bed. "You're safe. You fell unconscious, so we brought you to my lab. We won't run any tests on you, I promise. We just want to know what caused both you and Drake to collapse at the same time. Are you alright? Any pain?"

Kitania's breath caught in her throat and she blinked. She pushed the wires away and struggled to get her feet off the bed. "Where is he?"

Before Demetri could reply, Dr. Sara answered Kitania's question. "He's dead. I'm sorry."

Demetri slowly sank down into his chair. "Dead? But, he was perfectly fine a couple hours ago. How did this happen?"

Dr. Sara shrugged and walked behind her son, drawing him back into her arms. "It was the strangest thing," Dr. Sara stated with cold doctor's precision. "When we tried to get an IV in him, he didn't bleed. What blood we did get out was black and thick, like it had been there for years. I can't explain it. He's down in the morgue if you want to visit him later, son. I'm sorry."

Demetri could only nod sadly, still wondering what went wrong.

"Get me out of here," Kitania struggled with the wires anew. "Please, let me do something. I need to help. All I've done to him is hurt him. Let me help. Please."

She honestly couldn't believe she had said so much. She never talked that much and never to two complete strangers who owned a _lab_ , for crying out loud. What was it about him that made her want to help so ardently? She'd never felt attached to anyone, human or otherwise. So why him?

"There is nothing you can do, child." Dr. Sara said sadly.

"Wait. Maybe there is." Demetri looked in her direction. "Kitania, you can heal, right?"

"She is a healer? Why did you not say so earlier?" Dr. Sara immediately began to take the wires off of Kitania.

Once she was free, the group made their way down to the morgue. As Dr. Sara lifted her key card to the card reader on the wall, both Avrils jolted at the sound of someone banging on the door.

"Open it, mama!"

Dr. Sara slid her card through the reader and the door opened to reveal Drake, scantily clad in a hospital gown and shivering.

"Hey. Why am I in a freezer?"

Dr. Sara fainted.

Well, that was a new one. Kitania mentally checked off "freaky resurrection without explanation" from her list of wacky things she had witnessed. She cowered behind the remaining Avril and wrapped her arms tighter around herself, wishing she still had her hood. She let her hair fall toward her face.

Whoever he was, she wasn't sure she liked it. Shadows that bowed to him and now the power to seem dead. Something about him gave her shivers.

Drake, noticing the presence of two women, one of which had fallen to the floor, quickly wrapped himself in shadows. He appeared to be wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans.

He stooped down to check on the doctor. "Doc, are you okay? Doc? Wake up, Mrs. Avril!"

The doctor remained unresponsive, while Demetri was still too stunned to say anything.

Kitania didn't know how he could be so calm! He had been dead! Or, so it seemed. So why wasn't he spooked? And why did he control shadows? Why darkness? If there was one thing she hated more than Mr. Edwards, it was the darkness and lies that tried to pervade her mind.

She turned her attention to Mrs. Avril and concentrated on feeling for anything that could possibly be wrong. She had a sixth sense about these kinds of things. She smiled when she realized Mrs. Avril had only fainted from fright. She'd be okay in a few minutes. Since they didn't need her help, Kitania faded into a wallflower.

Drake stood up and looked around him. "Um, De? Why are we in the morgue? And why did Doc pass out?"

Demetri snapped back to attention. "Drake, you were dead. What happened? You just screamed and died. Nearly gave me a heart attack."

Drake leaned back against a nearby wall. "Yeah. I don't know what happened. I was just sitting there, and all of a sudden I felt as if I was on fire. And then... nothing. I woke up in a dark room, felt for the door, knocked, and here you are. I guess I scared your mom pretty bad."

Demetri huffed. "It's difficult to scare an Avril. Congratulations."

Dr. Sara finally groaned and sat up, rubbing her head. "Drake!" She looked up at him with surprise. "You're alive! What are you?!"

Drake shrugged and looked down at his hands. "I dunno yet."

Kitania wanted to scream that she knew. He was full of darkness, and he controlled it somehow. She wasn't sure if he could be trusted. It was all wrong. He claimed to be crying for the loss of his love, but the darkness she knew was incapable of such. Unwilling to take it any longer, she turned and marched for the door. She had to get out of there.

Drake watched as the girl marched toward another freezer door. "Um, De? Your... cousin? … is leaving via freezer."

"What?" Demetri turned and listened for Kitania's footsteps. "Kitania, you will not get out that way." He looked back toward Drake. "And she is not family. I'm just helping her out. Drake, this is Kitania; Kitania, Drake. Now, would either of you mind telling me what the heck happened back there?"

"Why don't we talk in the conference room?" Dr. Sara suggested, pulling her lab coat tighter around her. "It's a bit chilly in here."

As Dr. Sara led the group upstairs to one of the conference rooms, Drake couldn't help but wonder why he did not feel the chill Doc had.

It didn't seem like they paid any attention to her, and Kitania was beginning to feel like a complete third wheel. She might as well just duck out now, before anything else wacky happened. Which it probably would. And she couldn't tell them she had half-killed him. They'd hate her.

She sighed. So his name was Drake. Interesting choice. Meant Dragon in Latin, she knew that much. She didn't want to follow, but she did, mostly because she had no idea where she was or where they were going.

Dr. Sara led them into a conference room and immediately began trying to run more tests on Drake. She checked for his pulse and listened to his heartbeat—or lack of it—but by the time she took a needle out to draw some blood, Drake had had enough.

"Stop it! I may work for you, but I'm not your guinea pig. Not right now, at least. I don't know why I died... but, it might have something to do with the fact that I'm... well, I'm a Shadow Walker."

"A what?" Demetri looked up toward Drake from where he was sitting at the conference table. "What's a Shadow Walker?"

"I think I took so long to get my powers because my amplifier was connecting to... another realm. The Shadow Lands. I went there, and the Shadow Walkers there killed me. Brooke brought me back, but I've been... different... since then. I can't explain it. They told me that they made me into one of them."

Dr. Sara broke out laughing. "Poor child must have hit his head when he fell. Drake, you're delusional."

Drake glared at the doctor and sulked over to the large picture window. "How can I explain it? You'll never believe me!"

"He controls them," Kitania said, nearly in a whisper. "The Shadows. They go where he sends them."

Drake glanced over when Kitania spoke. Suddenly, visions of a memory, like fragments of a dream, came to his mind. He remembered standing in Kitania's room, telling her not to hurt herself. He remembered her scared reaction, and the light that had hurt him. "You. I was in your room. But, I was in Demetri's room at the same time. You hit me with a blast of light. But... it wasn't me."

Dr. Sara glanced from Drake, to Kitania, and back. "You care to explain, child?"

"I don't think I can." Drake confessed. "Apparently, I was in Kitania's room while I was in Demetri's. I was... a shadow."

Kitania winced. Of course he remembered her playing with that knife. It would be the one thing he remembered. She should have known someone was watching the whole time. She should have gone somewhere else and carved her flesh there. No one would have known. She didn't know what to do or what to say. Should she apologize? Or should she let it go and hope they forgot? Either way, they seemed to think Drake' shadow manipulation was a bigger deal than anything she might be going through, so she remained silent.

Drake glanced over at Kitania. "I'm sorry for scaring you earlier. I didn't know what I was doing. Really. This is all so new to me." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I don't blame you for what you did. I kinda deserved it."

"Wait, what did she do?" Demetri asked.

"Well, she kinda hit me with a large blast of light. It nearly killed me. Or... I guess it kinda did for a while."

"And that must have drained her energy, knocking her out." Dr. Sara concluded. "Good. Mystery solved. Now," she grabbed Drake's arm. "We go and do more tests."

He wrenched his arm away from her. "Stop it. I said no."

"You can't test him!" Kitania concurred loudly. She blushed at her outburst. What if her healing power remained in his system? What if they found out what she was and how it worked? She couldn't risk that happening. "I mean... he needs to rest, right?"

The three looked at Kitania, puzzled by her outburst.

"I feel fine," Drake admitted. "Great, actually. I just don't want to be poked and prodded again."

"Why the sudden concern?" Demetri asked. He paused, thinking, then continued, "Is this because you think your energy is still in him? Perhaps. But, at this moment, we do not care about your abilities. I gave you my word, and I will keep it. I refuse to experiment on anyone without their approval." He looked up toward his mother. "We at Avril Corporation _respect_ our patients. _Mama_. Leave him alone."

Dr. Sara crossed her arms and huffed. "It is such a good opportunity! I'm so curious!"

"Do you not think Drake has been through enough for one day? Kitania is right. Let him rest. We _all_ could use a rest. Come, Mama."

Demetri stood and held his hand out to his mother. Dr. Sara sighed and took it.

"There are nice rooms here on this floor," he explained, heading for the door. "These are the rooms reserved for recovering patients. I will have someone send you your day clothes. We had them put away. I will see you two in the morning, and my apologies for keeping you here. I think it is best to keep you both under observation for the night, in case something happens again. Goodnight."

With that, the Avrils walked out and down the hall.

"And they have the nerve to say _I'm_ weird," Drake commented with a laugh.

Kitania nodded, but balked at the thought of spending the night alone in this facility. With _him_. What if his creepy, sinister shadow double showed up again? What if he tried something?

 _There's always the pen thing again_ , Kitania thought to herself. She could totally take care of herself. She thought. Just in case, she stood stock still and waited for him to make the first move. He seemed to know his way around the building better than she did, anyway.

Drake walked to the door and held it open for Kitania. "I can show you where the rooms are, if you want." As he began to lead her down the hall, he nervously played with the sweatbands around his wrists. "Hey, um, don't feel bad about that whole... knife... thing. I know I shouldn't even be talking about it, but... I know what it's like. Can I show you something?"

Without waiting for her approval, he slid his sweatbands off, revealing a host of thick scars around his wrists. Scars on top of scars blemished his skin. After he had shown her, he quickly slipped the bands back on and shrugged.

"I know it's painful to see. Worse to feel. I just wanted to say you're not alone." He stopped at the entrance to another hall. The hall was full of suite-like rooms reserved for patients. "Well, here we are. Make yourself at home... as much as you can in a research facility. Goodnight, Kitania."

Drake walked to a door and stopped outside of it. He ran his hand over the number, remembering his old room.

Kitania didn't know where to go or what to do. Oh, sure, he had pointed out the guest rooms to her, but she hated feeling like a prisoner. She hated it when people told her where to go, when to sleep, who to talk to. She had enough of that as a child. She didn't need it now.

"Can..." she cleared her throat when her voice came out gravelly. "Can I see your wrists again?"

Drake turned and looked at Kitania. "Sure. I guess." He removed his sweatbands again and showed her his wrists. "People think I'm crazy for doing this. Like, I'm some kind of pansy for letting my emotions affect me. But, how could they ever know how I feel? The pain lets it out. A little. Well, you know what I mean."

Kitania took a deep breath. Her lumen turned on in one hand, she knew because she summoned it. She focused solely on the human side of Drake, avoiding everything in him that attached itself to darkness, and ran her lumen slowly over one wrist. Then the other. So meticulously it was almost in slow motion. And she watched the scars disappear before her eyes.

Drake winced from the sharp pain of her light touching his skin, but watched in amazement as his scars disappeared.

When the work was done only a minute or two later, she withdrew her hand and kept her head down. "Goodnight, Drake." She turned for one of the rooms down the hall.

He frowned as he watched her leave with her head down. "Thank you," He called after her, and then went into his own room. It was so strange to be in this room again after all these years. Nearly three years prior, he had stood in the same room, feeling the same emotions. Some monster had his Paige and he could do nothing about it.

Drake slumped down on his bed and glanced at the chair across from him, where his best friend, Eric, had once sat. He remembered the conversations about God and miracles. He remembered how—somehow—everyone was able to make it out of the dream alive. Drake needed that sort of miracle again.

Not knowing what else to do, he knelt down next to his bed and began to pray for his beautiful librarian to be alright.

* * *

/

* * *

Iron Man sauntered from the forest looking flustered, and stopped when he saw Thor's ashen face. "Oh no. Don't tell me you lost him. You lost him, didn't you Point Break?"

"This is not what concerns me." Thor stood stock-still, contemplating something.

Tony lifted the face mask and stared at him. "It's pretty bad, isn't it? Please tell me he's not planning to tear up my tower again. That was hurtful. Really hurtful. If he so much as scratches the glass on those new windows, I'll—" He never got to finish his sentence.

Thor quickly summoned Mjolnir and stared Tony dead on in the eyes. "His threats. All the talk of worthiness." He shook his head in disbelief. "Loki is coming for the little mortal."

"Brooke?" Tony set his jaw. "Not in this life. Let's go."

The two wasted no time in taking off.

When they arrived back at Stark Tower a mere five (ish) minutes later, Thor wasted no time in squeezing himself into the elevator.

"I'll swing around the side and make sure she's okay," Tony volunteered, taking off and flying up the side of the building.

Thor arrived in the penthouse at the same time as Tony came in from outside, and both breathed easier when they saw Brooke sitting cross-legged on the couch, staring out at the night sky above the city.

Thor raced to her and pulled her off the couch into a giant hug. "I am so glad you are safe here!"

Brooke looked confused. "Choking. Tiny humans need air."

Thor released Brooke, but held her at arm's length. "Of course. My apologies. Has my brother been here?"

"Bad magic?"

Tony chuckled. "That's the one."

Brooke shrugged. "Dunno."

"We'll take that as a no," Tony said before Thor had a chance to open his mouth. "Listen, Brooke, we think Loki's coming after you. So—and I know this is hard—I'm going to have to ask you to stay inside the tower and don't go anywhere without one of us nearby. Literally. Don't go more than ten feet away from someone. I think we can all jump to your rescue at that distance. Capisce?"

Brooke tilted her head and shrugged at him. "No promises."

"Please, little mortal. We are only concerned for your safety." Thor rested his giant hands on either side of her face and looked at her pleadingly. "You are like the little sister I always longed for. I cannot bear to lose you to Loki's insanity."

" _Okay_ ," Brooke rolled her eyes. "Ten feet rescue jump. Deal." And she promptly left the room without waiting for anyone to follow.

"I got it," Hawkeye declared, jumping down off the top of a cabinet.

Tony squinted at him. "Barton, since when do you get to climb on my stuff?"

"Uh, since you weren't here." He disappeared after Brooke.

Tony rolled his eyes. "She's not going to do what we ask, is she?"

"I am unsure if she knows how to do as she is told," Thor concurred.

Tony shook his head. "JARVIS, I want to know the instant she tries to leave the tower—no, the floor. If she so much as nears an elevator or a door or a window, I want to know about it. And if Loki shows up, lock the place down."


	19. Chapter 19

Paige breathed another sigh of relief as Loki teleported away. She would rather have her leg broken than slowly put back together again.

Eyeing the bottle of wine next to her, Paige picked it up and began to gulp it down. Anything to get rid of the pain in her leg. She easily finished half the bottle, and set it down again. It would begin to act soon enough, she knew that from all her years of her mother's drunkenness. Her only worry about being drunk was what Loki could do to her while she was out of her right mind. Of course, with him being able to resist her telekinesis and with her being unable to flee, there wasn't much she could do to stop him anyway. May as well be out of pain rather than in it.

After about half an hour, Paige was pretty tipsy. She laid on the settee, mentally humming a poem she'd written years ago, and waving her hands as if she was conducting an orchestra.

 _There was a man_

 _Who went to Town_

 _To buy a loaf of bread._

 _But in the morn,_

 _They turned him 'round,_

 _And found that he was dead._

 _Twas dead! Twas dead!_

 _The beggar man was dead._

 _All because he had to eat_

 _One scrawny piece of bread._

 _The rats we know_

 _Got in the grain,_

 _And ate themselves to death._

 _Twas laced with pois'n_

 _And the plague_

 _The grain that all was left._

 _The beggar man,_

 _The beggar man_

 _He ate the poisoned grain._

 _And all his kin,_

 _He did infect,_

 _With the Bubonic Plague._

As she mentally giggled with glee, Paige sang it again and again, completely forgetting about the pain in her leg.

Loki reappeared in the hotel room he'd left Paige in, ready to demand an explanation. What he found threw him completely off balance. She giggled at nothing and looked dazed. Perhaps he shouldn't have given her so much wine. He should have emptied some of the bottle. She giggled again.

Loki dropped his forehead to the fingertips of one hand. Oh, gods, he needed a drink. He snatched the bottle from Paige's hand and took a long swig. First, she had neglected to tell him about her betrothal, and now she was drunk. Did she have any idea what a man could do to her if he found her not in her right mind? Her telekinesis couldn't be strong when she was like this. However, it did afford him time to do one thing. Loki knelt beside her, rested his hand gently on her ankle, and finished healing her wounds.

Paige gasped when she felt the pain in her leg. She'd nearly forgotten about it. _Hey! What're you doing? Stop it!_ Even her inner voice was slurred. _That hurts. Get away._

She tried to move her leg but found that she couldn't. So, instead, she simply pouted and mentally whimpered.

The last fragment snapped into place, and Loki felt the exhaustion take hold. Healing took a lot of energy. Energy he had already spent yelling at his former brother. He kissed the top of Paige's head lightly and moved himself into a separate room to sleep.

Once her leg had been healed, Paige easily drifted to sleep.

* * *

/

* * *

Sometime during the night, Paige woke with an awful migraine. This headache wasn't like her usual headaches, casued periodically by her AVCORP amplifier. She knew what this headache was. A hangover.

Paige tried to turn over on the settee, but quickly found herself on the floor. _Ow! Stupid thing._

She sat up, finding that her leg had been healed. It still hurt, but that was to be expected. A hairline fracture was better than her bone being in splinters. It took her a while to clamber back onto the settee, but when she did, she took a moment to look around the dark room. A small digital clock on the other side of the room glowed 3:27 AM.

She brought up the lights to a dim glow, just enough for her to see the room, and mentally groaned from the increased pain in her head. Looking around, she noticed that she was in the living room section of a hotel suite. The glowing time came from the clock on the microwave in the kitchenette. Across from her, a door leading to another room was cracked slightly open. That must have been the bedroom.

Paige stood, wincing from the pain in her leg, and slowly hobbled over to the door, holding onto furniture as she walked. She would much rather be in pain and walking than feeling fine and being stuck on a narrow settee.

She peeked her head in the room and squinted into the darkness, wondering if her prince was there. It didn't take long for her to hear his soft breathing. He must have been asleep. Not wanting to wake him, she quickly turned away from the door, closing it softly behind her. Unable to stand the pain in her leg any longer, she sat in a nearby chair.

3:42 AM. Great. Maybe she could sleep on the floor. At least it would be better than that uncomfortable antique couch.

Loki rolled over and squinted at the door when he heard it click softly. She must have woken up. And she only had the floor and a settee to sleep on out there. That would hurt her terribly, after her ordeal. He sighed and stood from the bed, ignoring the fact that he only wore his tunic and breeches.

He opened the door wide enough to walk through—which, in his case, was most of the way—and stepped into the secondary room. He almost chuckled at the sight of her curled on the floor. "The mattress would make a much more comfortable sleeping arrangement, do you not think so?"

Paige opened her eyes when she heard his voice, and blushed when she saw him. She knew it was silly to have expected to see him in armor, but that was the only image of him she'd ever had. Now, he stood before her in nothing but a green tunic and brown trousers. He looked so vulnerable and... human.

As she laid there staring at him, she couldn't help but look him over. She wondered what his strong arms felt like under the thin cloth of his shirt. She'd only ever felt his arms when they were covered in leather. What did his chest feel like? She'd only ever felt the cool metal of his armor when he held her. What did his skin feel like?

A solid thirty seconds passed before Paige snapped out of her daze. Oh, gosh, was she broadcasting?! Please, don't let her have broadcasted all that! She would die. Utterly and completely die. Right now, right where she lay.

Wait, he'd asked her a question. What did he say? Something about a mattress. Oh, gosh. _Um... yes. The floor isn't very comfortable._

Yep. If it was possible to die from embarrassment, she would have died a full two minutes ago.

Loki smiled and extended his hand. "As I presumed. Come on, then." He waited patiently for Paige to take it. If she had half the hangover he thought she might, she would need help standing to her feet.

Paige gladly accepted his hand. It had taken her far too long to stand on her own the last time she'd tried to get off the floor. As she rose to her feet, she stepped down too hard on her left leg. It buckled under her, sending her sprawling into his arms.

Loki had no trouble catching her.

Well, she got her wish. If the moment hadn't been so awkward, she'd have taken more time to notice the feeling of his strong body against hers.

 _I'm sorry._ She blushed bright red. _My leg is still very sore. I think it might still be fractured... But thank you for everything you've done. At least I can walk now, with assistance._

Loki made sure she was steady before he released her and dropped his hand into hers. "It was nothing." He started back for the bedroom and released her hand at the door. "Sleep well, Paige." He dropped back into one side of the bed, pulled the covers up over his torso, and cuddled into his pillow.

Well, he certainly wasn't chivalrous when he was tired, was he?

Paige limped over to the other side of the bed, stood there—her weight supported by her good leg—and simply stared at him. She had to admit, the previous day had exhausted her, but she wasn't sure she trusted him enough to lay with him. Too much had happened to her in her past. Friends had suddenly become enemies overnight. But, he had had the perfect opportunity to take advantage of her and he didn't. He had healed her and then left her alone. Perhaps he could be trusted.

Paige hesitantly laid down next to him. The soft bed felt wonderful and inviting. She hadn't realized how tired she really was. At least he allowed her to join him. He hadn't made her sleep on the floor.

Lately, she'd been feeling very much like a pet. As she rolled over and stared up at the ceiling, she thought of all that had happened to her over the past days. He had kidnapped her, yet was kind to her. He had told her to obey and made her promise to return to him willingly, yet he obviously had affections for her. And he had told her she was his companion. Oh, gosh. She was a pet!

Of course he saw her as a pet. Why had she thought he would view her differently? He was a mythical god for goodness sake! And she was merely mortal. All she could ever hope to be to him was a pet.

Loki smiled as he read what she was thinking. She had no idea. She may have started out as a pet, but no longer. "Cease your worrying, little one. You are keeping me from my sleep." He had to refrain from asking about her _betrothed_. If she loved this boy so dearly, she would have mentioned him earlier.

Paige blushed when she heard his words. Of course she had broadcast all that. She mentally groaned and covered her face with her hands. _I have a right to worry, though,_ she protested. _I am a_ _person_ _, whether you see me as one or not._ She trailed off, not wanting to anger him. _I'm sorry. Perhaps we can discuss this in the morning._

Of course she was a person. Why would she think otherwise? He had tried to treat her as humanly as possible. Were his best efforts all in vain? Loki tried not to sigh. "Yes. You are." He agreed. "A very headstrong one at that. Why did you not mention your betrothal?"

 _Betrothal?!_ Paige sat up straight and looked at him like he was crazy. _What in the world are you talking about? I'm not betrothed! I mean, I have a boyfriend—_ _had_ _a boyfriend—but we're not engaged!_

Loki rolled over so he could see her and propped himself up on one elbow. "I do not understand this term. Boyfriend. Would you kindly explain it to me?"

Paige laid back down and thought about his question. How was she supposed to explain something so complicated, especially to someone so ancient? With ancient ways. _I'll try..._

 _Drake is my... suitor. He has been... courting me... for quite a long time. Years. All this time, though, he has never asked me to marry him. In our modern culture, only one man may court one woman at a time. That man has a sort of... claim... on that woman. Only through engagement, betrayal, or mutual agreement can the courtship be ended._

 _At first, I loved Drake. Recently, however, my love has run cold. He is immature and ignorant. I have grown through these past years. He has not. And he is average. We went through the experiment together. He helped me through so much and saved me. But, once I developed my telepathy, he became... distant. It's not really_ _distant_ _, per se, but there is a gap between us. I wanted help with understanding my power; he only wanted to mock me, as if everything is a game._

 _I only stayed with him because I thought he was my only chance at happiness. The humans do not accept what is different. Those who are disabled think I have an unfair advantage because of my implant. The superhumans think I am weak because of my silence. And those who are "normal" fear my power and think I'm a freak... a monster._

 _I didn't tell you because I didn't think it mattered. You kidnapped me for a reason, and I didn't think you'd ever let me go. I still don't think you will. My past means little in the presence of what future I could have. I'm sorry I misled you to think I was... unclaimed. But, I swear to you, I do not love him._

Loki held in his smile. "Well, then. If you do not love him, you do not love him. It is settled. Although it is highly unfair to the men of this realm to force upon them the stipulation that a woman may only have one suitor. How will she know her worth? A virtuous woman should be fought for, cherished and wanted above all others. And how will she know how desirable she is if eligible men stay away for fear of her current suitor? No, I do not agree with this custom. A man should fight for the one he loves, and he should know his mind far sooner than five years in a courtship." He clucked his tongue. "He is a fool to have waited this long. Though I cannot say I am unhappy to reap the benefits of his hesitance."

Paige smiled and turned on her side to face him. _So, you're saying you're willing to compete with Drake for my heart?_ She blushed. _It's hardly a competition. And wouldn't you be a little jealous if the woman you loved had other suitors? The one suitor rule keeps the suitors from killing each other._

As she snuggled closer to him, a small wave of guilt rose in the back of her mind. She was such a tramp for betraying Drake like this. But, Loki was right. How was she supposed to know her worth if they didn't fight over her? And who said Drake was looking for her anyway? The last time she spoke to him, they'd argued and left on uncertain terms. No, she wouldn't let the guilt affect her. And, more than anything else, she liked the idea of being fought for.

"Of course I would fight for you." Loki reached to smooth her hair from her face. His telepath was worth fighting for, else he would not have taken her from her home. "As for this Drake, let him come. Whatever he attempts will not work. Not on me." He grinned. "As for my jealousy..." He leaned next to her ear and lowered his voice. " _Should_ I be jealous?"

Paige blushed and leaned her face into his hand. She definitely liked all the attention he gave her. She gave an airy laugh and leaned her head against his. _No. You shouldn't be. You have nothing to worry about. He's not coming for me._

Her smile slid from her face as the gravity of her last statement sank in. Drake would not be coming for her. Knowing him, he was probably sitting at home playing video games. He probably never even noticed she was gone. No... he would never be coming for her. And the only reason the heroes came for her was because her captor was Loki. No... no one would be coming for her.

Loki backed up just enough to see her beautiful eyes and full lips. He moved his thumb to brush along her lower lip, slightly protruded in a pout. "You've no idea how precious you are, do you? How many men have longed for you but been too timid to ask for your hand. Tell me, Paige, would you even know it if a man gazed on you with desire in his eyes, or would you overlook it because you do not think he could ever want you?"

Paige turned her face away from him. He had no right to touch her like that. As horrible memories filled her mind, she stood from the bed and backed against a nearby wall.

 _Yes, I'd know it! I've seen it! And his desire was not concerned with my well-being!_ She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. _Just... just stay away from me. Your tricks won't work on me. I heard what you told Thor! That you would 'ravish her mind'! Stay away from me, Loki. I'm in no condition to fight you._

Loki sat up straighter and watched her cower. Fear was not becoming on her, unlike other mortals he had known. "Oh, _that_. Be assured I never meant you. No, no you are quite safe in my presence. I will not touch you. Not until you offer me permission to do so. Furthermore, allow me to explain what I truly meant." He paused to gather his throughts, then let his tone turn serious. "When I speak of desire, I do not speak of lust. I speak of the need to be around someone, the feeling that when you are not with her you are incomplete. I speak of the desire to watch her. Watch her do anything, just so long as you can remain in her presence. I would never, _never_ speak of this carnal, base desire that so many mortal men think is honorable. For it is not. A woman should be gazed upon as a precious jewel, worthy of a hundred times her value. Not as a piece of meat."

 _Oh, and are you so honorable and noble, Loki of Asgard? You do not deserve to be ranked among the gods! I know you! You who kill and destroy for fun! Do you think that whatever you plan to do to that woman is better than what Bruileo did to me? I tell you it's worse! Bodies can heal. Minds cannot! You are a horrible, cruel, silver-tongued creep!_ Paige slid down the wall, careful of her bad leg, and brought the knee of her good leg to her chest. She wrapped both arms around her knee. _Just stay away from me._

Loki tossed the covers aside and took a deep breath to hold in his anger and disappointment. How could she think such things of him? "I do not _plan_ to do anything with her or to her, little telepath. I can no longer harm the oaf physically, he has grown too strong for that. Just knowing she is in my grasp will wound him emotionally. He thinks me capable of grand travesties. I need not do anything to her, as he will find himself concerned with what I _could_ do."

 _Oh._ Paige was silent for a long time. She felt overwhelming guilt for everything she had said to him. But, her pride wouldn't let her apologize so soon.

Instead, she simply buried her face in her arms and sat there, silent as ever. There was no way he would let her return to him after everything she'd said. Now she would be quite happy sleeping on the floor. She deserved it.

"You are not the first to mistake my meaning," Loki said with a shrug. "It seems my silver tongue is often a curse. Perhaps I can make it up to you? Would you like to know why I chose you?" He barely waited for a reaction before he continued, trying to get it out before he changed his mind. This had to be the wine talking. "Heimdall saw you afar off, little telepath. He saw your tricks. Being one for mischief, myself, I certainly could not resist a look in your direction." He cleared his throat. "It was on my trip to Midgard, here to see you, that I realized you are a telepath. And I saw your pain. None of them treated you with respect, as they should, and the longer I thought of it the more enraged I grew. I knew I must do something. You were too exquisite to be treated as such a small, unnoticeable creature." He shrugged again, no longer having the strength to continue. He rose and turned for a dark corner. "You take the bed."

Paige reached out a hand, as if to stop him. She couldn't bear her guilt anymore. _No, Loki, wait._ She tried to stand, but it took her a little while to finally get her feet under her again. _I'm sorry for the things I said. That's the problem with my telepathy. My thoughts come out before I can stop them, before I get a chance to think about the damage I cause. I didn't know you felt so strongly about me. Now I do feel awful._ She sat down on the bed, remade the covers the best she could, and turned down the sheets on his side of the bed. _Please come back. I won't say another word. They tend to do too much damage._

Loki stopped and looked at her, tilting his head and furrowing his brow. "You would trust me to come so close so soon?" Was this a trick? He didn't know anymore. The line between truth and lie had always been thin and grey. This made no sense to him. She had practically accused him of trying to force himself on her moments ago. "Are you quite sure?"

 _Yes, I'm sure. You just swore to me that you would never do such harm to a woman. And you promised to not touch me unless I give you permission. Why should I have reason to doubt you? And... if you_ _do_ _try anything, telepathy is not my only means of defense. Touch me in any manner I do not approve of, and you might just lose your hand._

And she meant it, too. If telekinesis wouldn't work on him, perhaps old-fashioned kicking and biting would, if it came down to it.

Loki would have argued (though he didn't know why) but the hour grew late and he wanted a few hours of good rest before the morning's first light. He slipped into his side of the bed and curled his arm under his pillow to boost his head. He didn't say a word, only concentrated on returning to his slumber. Paige had made that much harder than she had probably anticipated.

Paige laid back down and stared up at the ceiling for a while. It was difficult trying to live with someone so much like her. But, she would make it work... somehow.

She fell asleep after a little while, but her sleep was not restful. She tossed from one side to the other as nightmares plagued her mind. Images of Drake, the experiment, and the happenings of the past days all tossed through her mind like the waves of an angry sea.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hey, guys! We just wanted to let you know this chapter contains a trigger warning. Be careful, and have some compassion on these characters, poor babies!**

* * *

Drake sighed and stood, wiping his tears from his eyes. He laid down in the bed, and lay there for a while, before he realized he would not be able to sleep. His fifth near-sleepless night in a row. Normally, it would have begun to take its toll. But, he felt fine. He wasn't even tired. Perhaps it was all the sleeping he'd done in the morgue. He stood again and began to pace. Back and forth, thinking about Paige. He had to see her. Something of her, at least. And he knew exactly where to go.

Drake slowly opened the door to his room, peeked out to make sure no one was watching, and slipped down the hall. He turned a corner and walked over to what appeared to be a blank wall with nothing but a card-reader attached to it. He pulled out his wallet, found his AVCORP identification badge, and slid it through the reader. A secret door opened, revealing a room full of computers. Drake walked in, stood before one of the touch screens, and logged on. He left the door open behind him.

"SIDNES, bring up the simulation recordings from Project X. Isolate to images of Paige Barnett. Play back."

A large screen attached to a side wall lit up, playing back footage of when Drake and Paige were together on the island. He watched scenes of her teaching him sign language and them sitting together under the palm trees.

Drake walked over to the screen and ran his fingers over the illusion of Paige's face. "I made you a promise, baby. I'll keep it."

* * *

/

* * *

Kitania sank onto the bed and studied her hands. She didn't know why she had healed him, only that she had felt compelled to help. He scared her and made her feel safe all at the same time. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. This place felt so... foreign. She didn't know what to do. She didn't have a piano and she didn't want to keep Drake awake.

So she sang quietly this time. The same song she had sung before pulling out her knife. Only, this time there was no knife to pull out at the end. She was utterly alone, and she had to face that reality.

Kitania heard something whir to life nearby and, being an overly curious soul, couldn't resist the urge to check it out. She silently slipped from her room and stood, watching in awe, as Drake played video of some super adorable girl. A girl who, from the looks of things, he was still in love with. She couldn't help but smile at the cuteness.

Drake watched as the images on the screen changed. Suddenly, he was face to face with the image of Bruileo. The coward had Paige pinned to the wall, his blade at her throat.

" _You know one thing I like about you, Paige? You can't scream."_

 _Bruileo grabbed her wrists with his free hand and slammed her back against the wall, pinning her legs with his knee. "Why you gotta fight, hm?" He trailed the flat side of his blade down her cheek. "This'd be much simpler if you'd just give me what I want."_

 _Unable to fight any other way, Paige spat in his face._

 _Bruileo growled and slapped her, hard._

 _Paige gasped, wide-eyed. As she tried to recover from the blow, Bruileo quickly slit through her shirt._

" _Paige?"_

 _Paige gasped as she heard Drake call from the other room._

 _Bruileo heard him,too. He grabbed her by her hair and dragged her into her room. He threw her down onto the floor and slammed the door behind her, while he remained out in the hall. "Well, looky here." Bruileo gave a cold, sinister laugh as Drake approached him. "What you gonna do, tubby? Eat me?"_

 _His blade came out again and the two began to struggle for it. They fell to the ground and Drake grabbed Bruileo's arm. Without thinking, he quickly snapped it in half. The beast howled in pain and scrambled away from Drake. In an instant, the coward was on his feet and out the door, dripping blood all over Paige's carpet as he went._

 _Drake stood, went into Paige's room, knelt down beside her, and pulled her into a hug. "I promise you, Paige, I'll protect you. I'll always be here to protect you."_

Drake wiped a few tears from his eyes as the clip ended.

Suddenly Kitania wasn't so okay. Her stomach recoiled. Her head spun. Her chest tightened. Something about the video triggered things she didn't want to think about, but she couldn't escape the memories now.

" _Relax," he had cooed, putting his slimy hand on top of hers._

 _When she'd tucked herself into a corner, he had followed and put those same hands on her arms. "Hey, calm down."_

" _Please, don't," she had begged._

" _You know I can't help it."_

The memory of his fingertips grazing her skin as he reached for the hem of her t-shirt sent Kitania over the edge. She collapsed to her knees and felt the bile rise. She couldn't hold it in. Choking spasms overtook her as she lost what little lunch she'd had.

Before the next clip began, Drake heard the sound of retching coming from the doorway. He turned and saw Kitania getting sick. Thinking it was from the horrible scene of him breaking Bruileo's arm, he frowned and quickly went over to her.

"Are you alright? I didn't know you were still awake. I'm sorry. Let me help you back to your room." He looked over his shoulder at the computers. "End program. SID, call a cleaning crew down here. Computer station three. The door's unlocked." He turned back to Kitania and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Kitania shrugged out from under his hand and scurried across the floor. She huddled next to a wall, using it to pull herself to her feet. Every movement caused her muscles to spasm with pain from what she just did. So she sank back to the floor.

She didn't say anything, just looked at him with a pained expression. He had no idea how well she knew the pain that girl had been through. No idea how much she identified with the terror that the boy in the video had brought. And no idea that she had never had anyone to protect her from it, so she had to protect herself by any means necessary. She slid her eyes closed and laid her forehead onto the cold wall in front of her.

Drake watched Kitania's movements and recognized them. Paige had acted the same way for a long time. Only through love and support was she able to overcome. "Oh, no. I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I had no idea that clip was in there." He walked toward her, but still kept a good distance away. "I'm not going to harm you, Kitania." He spoke softly and comfortingly. "I would never. Whoever hurt you should pay for what he's done. Please, allow me to walk you to your room. I won't touch you. I won't even come near you. I just want to know that you're alright."

Kitania didn't believe what she was hearing. Here he was, supposedly in love with someone else, and he was trying to offer her comfort? She didn't know what to believe anymore.

The tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Her overwhelming anxiety caused her shoulders to shake in breath-stealing sobs. "I don't want to go back there," she cried, eyes still closed. "I don't... I don't want to be here. At all. I just want to sneak out early... and go to the piano shop downtown... I want to be _normal_." She finally opened her eyes and turned the pain-filled irises to meet Drake's. "I want to forget."

As Drake watched Kitania, all he could see was Paige. Her words. Her sobs. It was all so familiar.

Not knowing what else to do, he knelt close to Kitania, yet still far enough away to give her space. "If you don't want to go back there, we won't. It's dark now, but at the first sign of light, I'll get you out of here. We don't have to listen to the Avril's. They don't own us. We'll go wherever you want to."

Kitania breathed deeply, surprised that she believed every word he said. Either he was a very, _very_ good actor, or he was completely sincere. She chose to believe the latter. "I want donuts and I want a piano. A real one, none of this 'electric keyboard' stuff. I need ivories under my fingers."

"Done and done. Anything else I can get you?" Drake smiled and wanted to make her smile, too. He was tired of all these tears, both his and hers. "I think they have elephants in the zoo if you want one of those. But, I don't think I'd be able to carry it."

An elephant. He had offered an elephant. Yes, it had been in jest, but still. Who offered an elephant to lighten the mood?

Kitania rolled her eyes. "Slow down there, cowboy. I'm not asking for an elephant. Just the moon." She shrugged. "Although, coffee..."

Drake laughed for the first time in days. "Alright. Coffee, donuts, a piano, and the moon. How hard can that be?"

Without really trying to, or realizing she had, Kitania giggled. A girly, nervous giggle that bubbled up from somewhere inside. Somewhere she had thought was forever dead. Looked like Drake could end up being a friend, after all. She shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"Really? I thought the doctors who told me that were just kidding." It was a stupid joke, but anything to make her tears stop. Drake stood and held out his hands to help her up, completely forgetting about his power. "Come on."

Kitania put her hand in his without thinking about any repercussions and hoped he helped pull her up. She couldn't do all the work, after all. Human contact felt better than any therapy might have. For a moment, she couldn't remember why she'd decided to swear off of it. Was this what friendship felt like?

Drake yelped and jumped back when their hands touched. It felt as if he'd been shocked. "Ow... I bet there's just a lot of static in here." He tried to shrug it off, but when he took her hand to help her again, he jumped and yelped again. This time, however, he helped her to her feet before he let go. "Sorry. I don't think dark and light get along too well."

Kitania wrapped her left hand around her upper right arm and shrugged. She should have known better. She shouldn't have tried to touch him. But, she felt it. And she knew it wasn't human. Not his fault, even. Something else bit at her. Something inside him or just out of reach. She didn't know, but she didn't like it.

"It's okay," she offered. "I shouldn't have—" she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No. I shouldn't have. I should have known better. I'm sorry."

The sound of wheels coming down the hall caused Drake to turn towards the door. The cleaning crew had arrived. He turned to Kitania. "Come on, I know a place we can go." He stepped over the mess and stood out in the hall, waiting for her to follow.


	21. Chapter 21

Kitania followed Drake and stood as close to him as she dared. She lowered her voice until she was sure only the two of them could hear it. "It's not you that rejects my lumen, you know. It's something else."

Drake sighed. "Yeah, I know. But it's become a part of me, so it may as well be me. I'm sorry I shocked you." He led her down a few hallways, up a flight of stairs, and out onto the roof. "I know it's not away from the building, but it's as close as we can get."

Kitania didn't reply. She felt listless again. Like any hope she might have had had been ripped from her grasp. Here was the only guy she didn't mind being friends with, didn't mind helping her out, and she couldn't even touch his hand. She was cursed, officially. She'd never be able to get close to anyone. It always backfired. Why did he have to be her opposite?

Drake walked over to a concrete fixture and sat down on it. "I like when it's dark like this. There's just something about nighttime that's calm. Serene. It's like all of space and time opens up and lets us see it. You can't get that in the daytime." He leaned back against the brick wall behind him and folded his arms behind his head.

"I like it for the moon. The symbol it presents." Kitania couldn't understand why he was so calm about having some weird shadow something egging him on. Nor could she understand how she was still speaking to him when all her hopes of friendship—of human contact—had been shattered.

"Yeah, the moon is nice. Paige used to tell me stories about how the moon was thought to drip water on the earth at night. She said that's how we get dew. The fairies collect the water and paint the grass with it." Drake sat there silent for a while. "It's been five days now. This is the fifth day. Most people who are kidnapped don't last more than a few days. Every day that passes is a day she might not be... around."

"I'm not sure I believe in fairytales anymore," Kitania confessed. "I like it because it reminds me the sun is always shining, even in the dead of night." She flopped to the ground right where she stood, keeping her distance. "Who... who took her?"

Drake glared up at the sky. "A horrible man. A murderer. A superhuman, like us, who uses his power to strike fear and bring death. He tried to take over the world a few years ago. Killed Paige's dad in the process. Now, he's come back for her. And there isn't a darn thing I can do about it."

Kitania rested her head on her palm and thought about it. "Loki? The guy the Avengers banished? Weird, I just saw Hulk the–" she sat up straight and clapped a hand over her mouth. Why was she gushing? She had said too much. What was it about him that overcame her timidity to cause her to blurt so much stupid drabble? Ugh, she was so confused.

"Yeah. That's the guy. Did you see the Hulk when he was on his way back to Stark Tower? He kinda broke me out of jail yesterday. The cops had me pegged as the kidnapper, all because I had some kind of mud on my tires. The Avengers are trying to get Paige back. I guess I'm kinda lucky that psychopath took her, instead of someone else. The only reason the Avengers are helping me is because of Loki. Otherwise, I'd still be in jail right now, and Paige would probably be in pieces. I just hope that creep has as much compassion for women as they think he does."

Drake sighed and placed his face in his hands. It hurt to think about everything Paige must be going through... how scared she must be... how much that madman must be playing with her mind... And there was nothing he could do to stop him.

As he sat there thinking, a dark shade slipped away from him and into the night.

Kitania shook her head and removed her hand only long enough to say, "Not on the sidewalk," before slapping it back over her mouth. Something suddenly felt off, but she didn't know why or how. And she certainly didn't see anything in the dark of night. She tried to shake the feeling.

"Then where did you see him?" Drake rested his arms behind his head again. The calm night was so quiet. Peaceful. If only it could always be like this.

Kitania dropped her hand and bit her lower lip. Glanced heavenward. Took a breath as if to say something, then stopped. She tilted her head, connecting dots as she thought on it. "But that means... he was... and she... and you were..." She brought both hands up over her mouth this time, eyes wide. "No way."

Drake tilted his head. "What on earth are you talking about, Kitania? 'No way' what?"

Kitania dropped her hands and scooted back toward the door. "Hulk smashed an enetire police station," she dropped her voice to a whisper of wonderment, "to break you out." Why? How did Drake know him? And why would Hulk break the law he usually upheld to save this kid? Who was he and why did it matter? She didn't understand why she was getting so attached so quickly.

"Yeah. One of my friends is a bit telepathic, I think," Drake explained. "She saw me in jail and got the Hulk to break me out. She's real tight with the Avengers... Wait, how did _you_ know about that?"

Kitania skittered back across the flat surface of the roof and kept her head down. Maybe he'd let it go. Maybe he'd stop trying to put the pieces together. She really didn't want to explain. She hadn't done anything, but it was still embarrassing. She sighed, hoping he didn't put together the pieces.

"Hey, wait a second. I didn't mean to pry. I'm sorry." Drake held his hand out to her, inviting her back, but reconsidered the gesture. "Um, I guess that doesn't help much, does it?"

"No, not really." Kitania eyed the hand that she knew she would hurt if she touched it. Which made her not even want to look at it. Her lumen didn't come from her eyes at all, but it felt awkward to know he could be in pain if she came near him. She never wanted to hurt anyone. Especially not someone as nice as Drake.

Drake chuckled and pulled his hand back. "Hey, maybe we can get you a pair of those gloves the Avrils came up with. Or... get me a pair. That way we're not hurting each other." He grinned and stood, transforming his shadow apparel from jeans and a t-shirt to a dark leather trench and dressier clothes. Black leather gloves appeared over his hands, making him look like a dark suave villain, straight out of the comics he so loved. "I dunno. Do I really look like the kind of guy that'd wear gloves?" He laughed and tiled his head to the side. "I bet I look ridiculous."

Kitania rolled her eyes. "You look like that guy from V for Vendetta," she clarified. " _Both victim and villain_. Pull-eeze." She briefly allowed her lumen to flash, illuminating the dark around her. "I tried gloves once. It didn't work out so well. Besides, they only stand between the skin to skin touch people all want. Create a barrier between them." She shrugged and lowered her eyes to the ground.

Drake broke out laughing at the reference, then let his smile fade a bit. "That was Paige's favorite movie." He shifted back to his jeans and t-shirt. "I'll wear them. I don't want to hurt you, or you to hurt me." He shrugged. "I don't mind."

"But _I_ do!" Kitania raged, standing and clenching her fists at her sides. "I'm tired of constantly hiding. Of keeping everyone at arm's length. Of always having a barrier between me and other people. I _want_ to be able to touch, to feel. To love. But I never can, and it's all because of this stupid power!" The hot, angry tears ran freely down her face, crashing to the ground as they released her chin.

"It's not your fault, Kitania. If it's anyone's, it's mine. I'm the dark one." Drake stood, walked over to her, and placed his hand on her shoulder. Since they didn't have direct skin contact, he was fine. "Don't blame yourself. You haven't done anything wrong. I'm the one who let those monsters have me. This is my punishment, my curse... not yours."

"Why are you being so nice?"

Drake shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just... me. I guess if you think I'm nice, I must be nice."

Kitania backed away form his touch and leaned against a nearby door. She covered her face with her hands and allowed herself to let go. To sob her heart out. To release the misery that had plagued her for years. Things she never thought possible. Her intense emotions caused her lumen to flicker and sputter, sending brief bursts of illumination against her tear-stained face.

He frowned deeply when he saw her sobbing. His mind wandered back to when Paige first discovered her power, and how she had acted similarly.

Without saying a word, he walked over to Kitania, leaned against the wall next to her, and held a black handkerchief out to her. He knew that if he said anything, he would only make things worse. All he could do was wait for her to calm down.

Kitania breathed deeply, through her nose, and wiped the tears away with her fingers. "No, I'm good. I'm fine. Just... tired, that's all." She folded her arms around herself, as though to keep warm. One thought permeated her thoughts as the lumen continued to flicker. She needed a piano.

Drake nodded and looked up at the sky. "Would you like to go back inside? Or we can sleep out here. I think I can make pretty much anything out of shadows. Sleeping bags, beds... I'm not making you a house. I draw the line at houses."

Kitania laughed outright, the end of her tears forgotten. "I'm fine to sleep out here without a sleeping bag. It doesn't bother me." She neglected to say anything about the sleepless nights or the cardboard boxes, all the time waiting for someone to appear and hurt her again.

"No, no. I insist." Drake waved his hands and two black sleeping bags formed out of the shadows of the building. "Here. Now we can sleep under the stars. I guess I can't make a campfire, though. Well, you kind of have that covered anyway, right?" He tilted his head and smiled at her. "Ya know, I think that's a really cool gift, Kitania."

"I don't," Kitania confessed. And she left it at that. She didn't know him well enough to tell him the one thing she'd never told anyone else. And she sure wasn't going to let him in far enough to tell him the horrors she'd seen... and done. She shook her head. "So, what time is it anyway?"

Drake looked at his watch. "Just after midnight. You can go ahead and go to sleep if you're tired. I think I'm gonna stay awake for a while."

Kitania shrugged. "Who can be tired after the day I've had? Pretty sure I slept a full eight hours after... the incident." She wrinkled her nose. "Sorry about my rage fest, I'm not good with villainous encounters."

Drake laughed. "Who is? And _me_? A villain?" He flopped over one of the sleeping bags, face first. "Do I look like a villain to you?" His last statement was muffled by the black cloth around his face.

"You don't," Kitania said with a roll of her eyes as she sank to the ground. "But your shadow kinda does. He's very threatening. I've never taken threats well. Have a tendency to become violent. And by violent I mean blind people with lumen."

"By violent, you mean nearly kill Shadow Walkers with lumen." Drake glanced up at her and grinned. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine, you're fine. We got through it, and I'll try to keep my shadows to myself. Problem solved."

"Yeah. Okay." Kitania stopped trying to argue, but only because Drake made it nearly impossible to argue with him. He was so insistent. Besides, he had promised to take her to find a piano. She'd let him win every argument they ever had if he would take her to find a piano. And sugar. She couldn't remember when she had craved sugar more.

Drake sat up and sat cross-legged on his sleeping bag, facing Kitania. "So... aside from playing the piano, what do you do for fun? Surely you have other hobbies. N-not that playing the piano isn't a wonderful hobby. It is. But... when you don't have a piano... what do you do?"

Once again, Kitania shrugged. "I sing. In the past I've... I've never really... had time to have a hobby. I've been too busy. Running and things." She shuddered at the memories the word conjured up. "So I guess I've never really thought of it. I've been too busy staying alive to really live."

"Running?" Drake asked. "Like, running away? Is that why you were in the jail?"

Oh, so he had put the pieces together. Well, crap. She had hoped he might overlook all of that. Apparently not. "Technically I was only being detained, I wasn't under arrest. Yet. And, no, that's not why I was in there. I was running for... different reasons."

"I don't mean to pry," Drake said quietly, "but what were you running from? And why _were_ you in jail? I can guarantee you that you couldn't have done anything worse than what real villains have done, so..." he shrugged. "It can't have been that bad. Did you kill someone?"

"Absolutely _NOT_!" Kitania used her hands to emphasize the word. "They said loitering or something. I couldn't help it! The food looked so good—" she clapped a hand over her mouth again. Why was she being so chatty? He didn't need to know all this. She needed to turn her filter back on. If only her brain would cooperate.

Drake shrugged. "You don't need to be embarrassed. You're a runaway. There's nothing wrong with that." He paused, considering his words, then continued. "You're not a drug user, are you?"

Kitania rolled her eyes again. "Even if I tried, I can't get high." She ran a slender finger over the opposite palm. She tilted her head to the side and studied him curiously. "Do you always assume the worst in people?"

Drake shrugged again and flopped onto his back. "I try to find the worst and get it out of the way. That way I can see people's good sides clearer. I used to look for the good first, but then... well, AVCORP happened to me. Now, I don't really trust anyone. Everyone has a dark side. It takes someone special to find the light."

Kitania shrugged coyly. "If you look for the light first, the dark doesn't seem like such a big problem. If it's even there. I know you're connected to the shadows, Drake, but that thing in my room... It wasn't you. I choose to see the light still left in you."

She ran a finger over her palm self-consciously. Was she flirting? Since when did she flirt with almost complete strangers? What was this madness? She quietly cleared her throat in an attempt to still her racing mind.

Drake shrugged and looked up at the night sky. "It was a part of me, I know that. Some dark, suppressed part that even I didn't know existed. And, I've found that if you look for the light first, you'll only be disappointed by all the hidden dark." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm usually not this morbid. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Kitania slid her eyes closed and focused solely on her power. She brought Drake's face to the forefront of her mind, still focusing on the lumen, and waited while she discerned what might be wrong with him. Aside from an abnormal heartrate, she couldn't find anything physically. What she saw next made her eyes snap open.

"You–you're fine. Your body is fine." She paused. She couldn't tell him what she'd seen. Heck, she could barely get the image out of her own head. He didn't need to know.

Drake glanced over at Kitania and immediately sat up, unaware of what she had seen or done. He was solely concerned with how terrified she looked. "Yeah, I'm fine. But... you're not. What's wrong?"

Kitania curled her knees to her chest and hugged them. "Nothing. It was... nothing. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. You look like you've just seen a ghost." Drake scooted closer to her. "Please tell me. Was it another shadow?"

Kitania scooted away from him and shook her head. "Not exactly." She didn't know what else to do. If she angered him, or the shadows, they would send something after her. If she remained silent, he would hate her later. Her eyes roved quickly back and forth across the rooftop, looking for a way to walk away from this in one piece.

Drake noticed when she moved away from him and winced. It hurt to know he made her so fearful. "Kitania, I promise you, I'm not going to hurt you. I would never." But he knew his words would never reassure her. Not like action could. With a sigh, he stood, grabbed his sleeping bag, and moved to another area of the roof. "If I'm the monster you think I am, then it'd probably be better if I stay over here. Don't want another boogeyman to get you."

Kitania picked up the black sleeping bag and wrapped it around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Drake," she apologized. In a moment of bravery, she lifted her eyes to meet his. "I wish I could find a way to tell you." Then she leaned her head back against the nearest wall and closed her eyes.

"Um, you could start by actually _telling me_." Drake's tone was harsh, but he couldn't control it.

He knew he had a tendency to become mean when he was angry, yet he had always been able to control it in the past. But, now... his anger rose up inside him like a beast. He clenched his jaw closed and tried to fight it, knowing it was only the darkness inside him. He wouldn't let them win.

He curled up on his sleeping bag, facing away from Kitania, and desperately hoped she would be wise enough not to respond.

Kitania glared at him in her mind, but didn't let it show on her peaceful features. She inhaled deeply and pretended to be asleep. Pretended she didn't hear. If it were possible, she would gladly let him know. But he would never believe her. And he'd hate her afterward. So she left him alone and let sleep find her where she was.

After he was sure Kitania was asleep, Drake stood from his sleeping bag and stalked over to a corner of the roof. He glared out at the city below him and watched the happy people sleep peacefully in their homes. Their lives could be changed in an instant, as his had been. So much could happen to them... in the dark. The sun had always been too bright, exposing too much. But, darkness... cool, calm darkness... was far better, far superior. If only everything could be turned dark, like flipping a light switch. No more sun, no more moon, no more stars... just the never-ending blackness of the Shadow Lands.

Drake slumped down next to the railing and continued to stare out at the lights of the city. The lights that were far too bright, too happy, too... comforting.

He remained in that position, wide awake, until the sky faded to grey in the morning. He scowled at the sun rising on the horizon. The darkness had ended far too quickly.


	22. Chapter 22

As the night neared day, a dark shade slipped into the room. It slid up the bed, like the snake that it was, and entered Paige's mind.

 _Traitor._

Paige still laid in bed, but her eyes were open. She knew she was asleep, but she couldn't wake up. A dark figure hovered over her, its face shrouded with a dark hood. The creature's voice hissed over her.

 _Liar._

She cowered away from it and closer to Loki, but for some reason he wouldn't respond. She tried shaking him, but he wouldn't wake up. It was only a dream. She knew it was only a dream.

 _Your beloved cries over you. Weeps bitter tears. Yet here you are, lying with another man._

 _It's not my fault!_ Paige protested, clinging to the body of her sleeping prince. _I was kidnapped!_

 _You want that man. That half-breed. You desire him. Do not hide your heart from the darkness within. You cannot. You are a traitor._

 _No! Stop it!_ Paige covered her ears with her hands, trying to block out the hissing voice.

 _One man you love has already died. The one you desire is next. Tell the half-breed that he will remain dead this time. The Aether is not the only weapon we have._

Paige bolted up straight, panting softly and shaking. She looked around the grey-lit room and saw the shadow of a man in the shrouded rays of the dawning sun.

 _Your half-prince will die. And then, so will you._

As the shade faded away, Paige screamed a squeaking scream.

Loki heard the scream in his mind and sat bolt upright. So much for a good night's rest. Paige looked absolutely terrified, and he couldn't tell why. Nothing seemed amiss. Nothing out of place. He didn't dare reach out a hand to touch her. "Paige," he started quietly. "What is wrong?"

 _There was a ghost. And it... it said it was going to kill you. I_ _saw_ _it! It was over by the window!_ Paige pointed at the window and brought the covers up around her neck, looking very much like a scared child. _It was_ _there_ _! I wasn't dreaming!_

Loki couldn't hold his hand back. His fingertips brushed lightly against her shoulder in a sign of comfort. He flipped the covers off and halfway turned to get up. "I believe you."

The longer he was awake, the more he sensed a foreign presence had invaded their privacy. He should have put up the shields when he brought her here. Why hadn't he guarded them well enough? He focused on trying to isolate the energy, standing away from the corner so as not to frighten her too much. But he had to know.

A hissing voice spoke from the shadows of the corner. "You cannot protect her, half-blood. The darkness in you is strong, but we are stronger. Do you think she is yours? For now, perhaps, but not for long."

All at once, the shadow leapt from the corner, flew directly at Loki, and burst into fading fragments as it made impact with his body. The fragments disappeared into the air as they fell. As quickly as it had come, it was gone. The shadow had only been a messenger, sent by its dark master.

Loki didn't even flinch as the shattering black shadow faded into the air. He'd been through worse, and he wasn't one to be frightened by a mere messenger. But, why had he been there? What did he want? And why attack him, Loki? He had always been sure to respect those attuned to the shadows. Never knew when they would be of use to one of his schemes. Why had they targeted him?

He would have to strengthen his shields. There was one Frigga had taught him that shielded against those from the Shadow Lands. He would be hard-pressed to recall it, but he would try.

He turned his attention to Paige. "He did not harm you?"

Paige shook her head. _No, I'm fine. What did he mean by 'half-breed'? And what is the 'Aether'? He said they have other weapons than the Aether. What does that thing want with us?_ Tears began to form in her eyes. This new fear was beyond explanation. _It called me a traitor and said they killed Drake. What does it want with me?_

Loki folded his hands behind his back and sighed. "I am a half-breed. Asgardian by adoption, not by blood." He glanced to where the shadow had disappeared. "As for the Aether... I had thought it destroyed."

Paige barely understood his response. Quite frankly, at the moment, she didn't care. The gravity of the shadow's words began to sink in. Drake was dead, and she and her prince were next. But their lives hardly mattered in light of the tone that had already been taken. A life so pure. So innocent.

 _Drake... is... dead. How? How could this have happened?_ _Why_ _? Why did it happen? Why do they want me? Did... did they come for me... and find him instead? Did... did they kill him... in place of me? Was... was he trying to... defend me?_ _What do they want with me_ _?! With_ _him_ _?! He was defenseless! Innocent! I... I should have been there. I could have fought them. I... I could have_ _tried_ _! At least I have my telepathy. He was..._ _defenseless_ _. This is monsters and magic... he could never hold out on his own... He didn't. He... he's dead. It's all my fault... It's all... my fault. Drake is dead, and it's all... my fault. Oh... oh, no... No, this can't be happening..._

Paige covered her face with her hands and began to sob. She said she hadn't loved him, but somewhere deep inside she still did. The man who had saved her, who had loved her when no one else did... that silly man who could always make her laugh, even when everything around her was so dark... the man so full of light and life that all he ever did was shine so brightly... was dead.

 _No. No!_

The glass of the mirror across the room, along with that of the large picture window, shattered as Paige sent out a large blast of telekinetic energy. Unable to bear the weight of her loss, she fell over on the bed and curled up as tightly as she could, trying to block out the rest of the world. Her heart felt as if it had been ripped from her chest.

 _My best friend... is dead._

He had died while she lay in the arms of another man.

Loki knew the pain she felt, for he had been there too. He should have protected Frigga. Should have been there for the one who had always been there for him. But he wasn't. His foolish pride had relegated him to the dungeons, where he could only watch as the monster that killed his mother broke through the ancient barriers Odin had erected. He would not allow his telepath to feel the same guilt he felt.

"I know not who is responsible," he started quietly, "but if they come again, we will be ready. You must learn to fight them. Do you have a weapon of choice?"

Paige looked up at him through her tears. _A... a weapon?_ She shook her head. _Demetrius... his company makes retractable staffs. Avril Staffs. They're made out of the same stuff as Captain America's shield. They have blades that retract. I could learn to fight with one of those._ She pulled the blankets tighter around her, still in shock over the loss of her friend.

Loki settled onto the edge of the bed and pressed his fingertips to his forehead. This was all ludicrous. He didn't even know what hour of the morning it was. And he was famished. But, Paige didn't look well at all. "Lay down," he commanded quietly. "You need rest. If it will alleviate your pain, I will sing a lullaby my mother taught me."

Paige looked up at him again, snapping out of her daze. _No... no, I'm fine._ She forced herself to sit up and wiped the tears from her eyes. _I'm not a child, that I would need a lullaby to comfort me. No._ She sniffled. _You're right. I need to learn how to fight. This was an act of war, and they'll only return. And next time they'll send more than a messenger. I'll need more than a weapon. I'll need to learn how to fight, how to really fight._

She glanced at him. _Will you teach me your magic? Just enough for me to defend myself with?_

She shakily stood from the bed, having to hold onto a nearby dresser for support. Her leg throbbed and burned. She leaned over and lifted the leg of her jeans. The skin of her left leg was purple and the muscles were swollen. Yep, it was still fractured.

She stood up straight again, solely supported by her good leg and the dresser, and looked at the broken window. How early was it? The sun was barely up. It had to be just after six. Great. She was running on only four or five hours of sleep at the most, which didn't help her already poor mood. She needed coffee... definitely needed coffee. She hadn't had coffee in days.

Loki saw the bruising and knew something must still be broken, but he didn't understand what he could do to fix it. "We cannot return there. I will retrieve your things, but I will not stay when the Avengers know the location." He picked up the hotel room phone and held a finger, telling her to wait a moment. The instant the mortal on the other end picked up, he rattled off his instructions. "We need a large pot of coffee, the finest morning feast your kitchen can create, and a pot of tea – Earl Grey. Oh, and also cream and sugar." He slammed the phone back into its cradle without waiting for an acknowledgement and straightened his shoulders. "Rest, worry, do what you will. I need a bath." And he stalked out of the room to find the bathroom.

Loki drew a hot bath and allowed himself to relax, if only for a brief moment. He hadn't meant to be rude, though he realized now that he had indeed digressed to that selfish man his family (and Sif and the Warriors Three, come to think of it) hated. This was what he got for overextending himself. And this day would only get busier. So much to do, so little time. He should have thought this through further before he had started.

Paige stared after him, wondering what the heck just happened. Yep, he definitely wasn't chivalrous when he was tired. And, he had definitely just gone into 'snobbish prince' mode.

She shrugged and carefully turned to look at her reflection in the broken mirror. From what she could tell, her hair was a mess and her clothes were wrinkled. But, there wasn't really anything she could do about it.

It took her solid five minutes to limp out to the living area. She flopped onto the settee, rested her leg over the arm of the seat, and mentally groaned. The pain in her leg was getting worse from her trying to use it, but at least it was bearable.

She glanced up at the freezer section of the refrigerator and smiled. Telekinesis did have its perks. She lifted her hands, telekinetically opened the freezer, took out an ice tray, unfolded a nearby towel, emptied the cubes into the towel, and brought the homemade ice pack over to settle on her sore leg. The freezer slammed closed as she flopped back against the other arm of the settee. This was going to be a long... and painful... day.


	23. Chapter 23

As the sun rose up higher in the sky, Drake stood and made his way back over to his sleeping bag. He laid down on it, pretending to have been there all evening, and rolled over to face Kitania. "Kitania, wake up. It's morning. We should leave before the Avrils get here. They'll want to run more tests on us."

Kitania groaned at the familiar voice and pressed a palm to her forehead. She'd sat up all night, even after she had fallen asleep. The morning sunlight felt comforting, but she didn't want to get up. Or did she?

She sat bolt upright and blinked until her eyes were wide open. "You promised me sugar. And a piano. There's this great little shop downtown, and they probably just got the new Bechstein." She stood up, more than excited to get going. Only music could get her to babble like she just had. It was a weakness.

Drake chuckled softly. "Sugar and music it is." He stood, stretched, and made the sleeping bags disappear. "Ya know, now that I think of it, I'm pretty hungry myself. I haven't had a decent meal in days. Come on, let's go find a nice bakery."

He led her down into the main building again, through the halls, and through a few security checkpoints, flashing his ID as he went. Soon, they were out on the streets of New York again.

He turned and began walking toward his favorite donut shop. "So, about that music store... did you have to go to that one specifically? I actually have business to take care of at another. A bit of a bill to pay."

Kitania frowned, just slightly. "I guess not. But, the new Bechstein. And I'm sure Sergei has missed me by now." She turned her eyes from the delicious-looking foods around her and blinked a few times to stave off her disappointment. "Please, Drake?"

Drake sighed. "Sure. Wherever you want to go, we'll go. No problem."

When they arrived at the cafe, he sat down at one of the tables and picked up a menu. For some strange reason, he craved meat... a lot of meat. When the waitress arrived, he ordered for them. "We'll have a plate of donuts, half of them glazed, half of them cream-filled, and the breakfast special, extra bacon, please." He flashed the waitress a winning smile and she left to get their order. He then turned to Kitania and smiled. "Will that be enough sugar for you? A whole plate of donuts?"

Kitania grinned and shrugged. "Probably. Can't make any promises. I've been known to down a couple dozen myself. I have a... high tolerance. For sugar. For a lot of things. Oh, gosh, I wish I would just stop babbling on and on and on!" She spread her arms across the table and dropped her head forward onto them.

Drake laughed. "Quit being so dramatic. You're fine. Actually, I like it when you talk. And I don't mind rambling, either. In fact, I tend to ramble quite a lot. Maybe I'm doing it now." He tilted his head to the side. "Am I rambling?"

Kitania lifted her head, just her head, and smiled. "You're a goofball. I was pretty sure you didn't mind my rambling, but I mind my rambling. I've never been good at opening up about stuff, and then all of a sudden I'm going to spill my guts to you, a stranger? I think not. What's wrong with me?"

Drake shrugged. "Nothing's wrong with you. I just have that effect on people. All my friends come to me with all their problems and blab. I don't mind. I'm glad to help."

Kitania shrugged and glanced around. She was ready for donuts already. Where were they? The faster she ate the faster she could go find a piano. And Sergei. She really missed him. She tapped her foot impatiently against the linoleum floor.

The food finally arrived and Drake gazed hungrily at his plate of eggs, ham, and bacon. He didn't remember the last time he'd been so hungry. It didn't take him long to easily scarf down half of what he'd been served. "Mm. This is good." he spoke around a piece of bacon. "How are the donuts?"

Kitania looked up from peeling a section of her sixth glazed donut and smiled. "Perfect." She popped it into her mouth and didn't regret that she probably looked like a pig. She couldn't remember when food had tasted so good. The sharp pang of hunger that only ever dulled to an ache was suddenly gone. As though she had finally eaten enough to satisfy it. For once in her life, Kitania felt content. She eyed Drake's plate. "Man, you've got an appetite."

Drake swallowed and laughed. "You're one to talk! You just shoved half a dozen donuts down in less than ten minutes!" He smiled at her. "I haven't seen a girl eat like that in forever. Paige eats like a bird. Once piece of toast and she'd be done."

Kitania winced at the reference. She'd never liked being compared to others. She shrugged. "Like I said, I have a high tolerance for... things." She motioned to the last six donuts. "Any way I can get a box or something to take these back with me? If I eat much more, I won't be able to play once we get me to a piano."

"Sure thing." Drake flagged the waitress over, asked for a box, and then handed it to Kitania. He stood and went to pay while she packed up the rest of her sugary breakfast. Soon, he returned and held the front door open for her. "You'll have to show me where this music store is. The one I go to is across town."

Kitania skipped ahead of him out the door and rubbed her hands together gleefully. "Ooh, I get to be the guide for a change." She chuckled. "Don't worry, it's just a few blocks over. A small shop, but my personal favorite." She shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket and set off at a brisk pace.

Drake followed her and lagged behind, keeping his own pace. His thoughts turned to Paige again, and he found himself wondering if she was alright. Just then, a voice spoke to him out of his own shadow.

 _The task is complete. I have done as you requested._

Drake instantly recognized the foreign voice in his mind. He continued walking, acting as if nothing was happening, while he silently freaked out inside. _Who are you? What do you want? What task?_

 _You were worried about your female. You sent me out to check on her. I did as asked. She is fine, but I found her sleeping with another male._

Drake's eyes widened, but he continued walking. _Another male? What do you mean? She would never._

 _The telepath lay with the half-breed, as if she was his. I theatened their lives. They deserve to die for their betrayal._

 _Whoa. Hold up. I never told you to threaten anybody. Actually, I never told you anything. But, hear this... slave. Never threaten my woman. She belongs to me, not him, no matter what he may be forcing her to do. Just... keep an eye on them. Don't threaten, don't even let them know you're there. Just keep an eye on her. Make sure she's alright. I don't want him hurting her any further if you spook him._

 _As you wish, master._

Drake shuddered as he felt a cold energy leave his body. He knew the servant had gone to complete his task. Not wanting to lose Kitania, he quickly jogged to catch up with her.

* * *

/

* * *

Paige startled awake at the knock on the door. She hadn't realized she'd drifted off. She waved a hand and let the hotel room door swing open. What else was she supposed to do? She couldn't walk and Loki was elsewhere.

Once again, it paid off to be a telepath. In an instant, a nearby magazine was in her hand and opened in front of her face, ensuring the server would be unable to see her mouth. A bit of mind play made him think he was hearing her aloud. "Just set the trays on the table. That's fine. I'm sorry, but my boyfriend has the cash and he's in the shower. Just take your tip, ten dollars, out of my personal tab. Under the name of Barnett. John Barnett. It's Daddy's tab, he won't mind. Thank you."

The server nodded once, thanked Paige, and left the room, closing the door behind him. A little mind play every now and again never hurt anyone.

Paige sat up and put the magazine down. _My prince,_ she broadcast to him, _breakfast is here. Come out of there before you melt._

Loki growled quietly. "I will come when I am ready," he called out as he wrapped a huge towel around himself. "I am quite sure you do not wish to see me in only this... towel, I believe it is called. And I should warn you, under normal circumstances that jest would incite a rampage of vengeance. As you are ill at the present, I will overlook the offense."

Paige winced at his reply and said nothing, lest she anger him further. She sighed. It seemed that she was only ever able to have a few nice beautiful moments with him before his monstrous side returned. One nice dinner preceded three days of fearful silence. One game in the gardens, along with the few kind words of the previous night, preceded his current fury. Who could tell how long this bout of anger would last?

She carefully made her way over to the table, sat in one of the chairs, and prepared herself a cup of coffee. She supposed she'd better wait for him, lest she offend him otherwise. She desperately wanted to say something, anything, to calm him, but remembered the consequences of the last time she'd tried it. Perhaps it would be best to just wait this out in silence.

Loki conjured a comb for his hair and slicked it back in its usual fashion, deeming to stay in only his tunic and trousers for the time being. He'd put on that insufferable armor later. With a very tired sigh, he made his way back out into the suite and stopped short at the sight of Paige sitting absolutely still. He managed to refrain from furrowing his brow, but his mind went into full tilt overtime. _What is wrong?_ He thought to himself, sure to keep his inner musings veiled. _I must have said something horribly wrong. She looks absolutely pallid._ So intent was he on wondering if she was alright, that he neglected to move an inch.

Paige glanced up when she sensed he was just standing there. She quickly glanced away, and gave him a respectful nod. _My prince,_ her inner voice was quiet, with undertones of fear. _Is everything well?_

Loki snapped out of it, rolled his eyes, and sighed. "You know, it is very disconcerting when you do that." He kept his voice low, sincere. Because for once he was.

 _I'm not sure I understand what you mean. What have I done?_ Paige motioned for him to sit down across from her, and still refused to make eye contact with him.

Loki sank onto a chair and dropped his forehead onto his fingertips again. He only briefly realized what she had done inside his mind and made a note of it. "This. Every time I have a bad day or digress back to my selfish ways, you do... this!" He motioned to her straight posture. "You... you become the shell of who you really are. Overly formal, addressing me by my title. By Odin, you even act the part of a shy, obedient waif!" The longer he thought on it, the more upset he became. Did she really feel that intimidated by his presence? Was he really that awful?

Paige didn't know how to respond. She was horribly frightened and any small particular could set him off again. But, he wanted her to be herself... so she would be. Her honest, frightened self. _Loki, I... I'm sorry._ She couldn't hide the fear in her voice. _The last time I tried to speak with you when you were like this, you nearly killed me. How do you want me to act? I'm_ _frightened_ _. Horribly, unbelievably frightened. One wrong word and you're ready to slay me where I stand. How am I supposed to act when you're like this? I've tried speaking, I've tried silence, and nothing pleases you. These very words I'm speaking now could very well be the end of me._

Loki winced. That stung. "I know I can be a bit intimidating, believe me. I wasn't attempting to hurt you when that happened, I swear! And I didn't know you then, not like I do now. I did not know how you would react to the dark side of me. I try to fight it, but sometimes it gets the better of me." He looked up, his hurt showing through his eyes. "Do not try to please me, Paige. Please don't. Just be who you are. It may hurt me, and I may become angry, but I swear on my life and the sacredness of Asgard I will never harm you again."

Paige was quiet for a long moment, considering his words. _You made that same promise to me before and broke it... but I will trust you again. I choose to trust you again._ She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. _I choose to forgive you. I know you can't help your actions. But you must forgive_ _me_ _for when I get like this. For so long, people have treated me as if I am less than an animal. When you digress... so do I._ She released his hand and smiled at him. _On a lighter note, I played a great trick on the room service guy. He thought I could speak. And, I tipped him with an inactive tab account. Our meal was entirely free, courtesy of my father's old tab._

Loki laughed outright and reached for the tea. "And they think _I_ am a mischief maker. I do believe you could come quite close to outdoing me."

 _I'm not trying to 'outdo' you... It's just that sometimes I can't help myself._ Paige gave a mischievous grin and reached for a plate of toast. _So, any ideas on where you're planning for us to stay until The Avengers find us again? How did they even find us the last time? You had the place covered in barriers._

Loki scowled. That wasn't on his list of particularly entertaining subjects. "Thor said something about a friend," he said. "And it doesn't matter, because they will not find us this time. I shall find a place... if only Asgard were safe at this time..."

Paige shrugged and chomped on a corner of toast. _Speaking of Asgard... and Asgardians... you never answered my question from earlier. I already knew you were adopted._ She blushed. _I... well, I had Drake hack into SHIELD's files. I read everything they have on you. Every note, footnote, subscript, and detail. I wanted to know everything I could about the man who killed my father. I know I shouldn't have pried, but I wanted to know... Thor told them you were adopted._ She hesitated, not wanting to ask the question again, but her curiosity finally got the best of her. _What did the shadow mean by 'half-breed'?_

Loki knew he couldn't lie to her. And he certainly couldn't deflect the question. So, despite his bitterness, he spat out the answer. "There is a planet called Jotunheim in the upper branch of the Yggdrasil. The race that lives there are known as Jotunheimr, or more commonly as Frost Giants. My blood-father is... _was_ their king. Odin took me in as spoils after the great war between Jotuns and Aesir." He selected a giant cinnamon roll and daintily licked a spot of frosting from his long finger.

Paige was silent for a moment, trying to process his answer. _Well, I guess that explains why you're always so cold._ She winced as she realized the gravity of her jest. _And I'm sorry for my 'come out of there before you melt' comment earlier. Now I realize it was hurtful._ She ran her finger around the rim of her coffee cup, thinking intently. Everything was starting to make so much sense. Why he hated Thor so much. Why he wanted to take over earth.

 _You know..._ she finally began. _My father was a family practice lawyer. He dealt with family matters like child support, divorces... adoptions. He taught me so much about the law. If I had the ability to speak, I would've become a lawyer, like him. On that note, I know common laws that deal with family matters, and I'd be willing to fight for them. If Odin_ _did_ _adopt you, you are in every right his son and heir to the throne. You are still a prince of Asgard, despite your birthplace. If it ever comes down to it, I'll vouch for your right to the throne._

Loki smiled. Yes, he had always seen something of this in her. "Oh, I plan on taking the throne. My _brother_ has renounced his claim on it, so I will have it. I only need the people of Asgard to see the light." He sipped his tea and waved a hand in the air dismissively. "And your earlier comments are forgiven. You did not know."

Paige smiled, but then let her smile slip away. Her thoughts were racing faster than she could keep up with them. When he took the throne, what would he do with her? Release her? Get rid of her? Keep her as a pet?

With Drake dead, all she had left in the world was her prince. Her mother didn't count. She would rather spend eternity alone than live one more day with her drunk mother. No, without her prince, she had nothing and no one left. But, at least she had him.

 _You know, you're lucky to be alive..._ she started. _Most monarchs kill the heirs of their rivals during battle. It ensures that the bloodline of the previous ruler ends, lest a revolt start. And, the fact that you were not only taken into the palace and accepted as a nobleman, but adopted by the great Allfather himself... well, that is something really special. I'm glad you're alive, Loki. And that you're the wonderful prince you are._

Loki leaned across the table and took her hand in his. "And I, my Paige, am quite glad that you are alive after that horrid ordeal those villains subjected you to." He meant every word of it, too. All this honesty was a strange transition for him. Maybe she was rubbing off on him after all. "Clean up, finish eating. I shall return when I have secured a new abode." He smiled mischievously, straightened, and disappeared.

Paige was left smiling after him and gazing at the spot recently vacated. He was so kind, so sweet. She wondered how she could ever be afraid of him. She admitted to herself that she still didn't completely trust him, but she was getting there. She was definitely getting there.

Paige finished her breakfast, swallowed down another cup of coffee, and slowly headed for the bathroom, her sore leg still hindering her walk.

Maybe she could find some way to make herself look halfway presentable. If she wet her hair and ran her fingers through it, perhaps that would keep the wispy strands under control. She spent about fifteen minutes trying to fix her appearance, but finally decided nothing could be done. Her damp flyaway hairs were plastered down to her head, but that was the best she could do. It would take a brush and a new change of clothes to work any sort of magic on her.

With a sigh, she looked her reflection over, trying to decide what her prince could possibly see in her. Her eyes were her defining feature, their color being the most striking aspect. Her irises were grey, nearly silver, and shined like polished armor. Like the eyes of her prince, her eyes couldn't help but show her heart through them. Her hair, hastily parted on one side, was mousey brown and hung in thick waves over her shoulders. In appearance, she was thin, but not unnaturally so, and small in stature.

Although she was twenty-four, she still had the face of a sixteen-year-old. At least, she thought she did. As she stood there looking over her reflection, Paige realized that everything about her screamed 'mouse' and 'little'. Even her prince called her 'little one'. She knew it was a term of endearment, but it still stung.

She reached up and ran her slender fingers over her pale throat. If only she could speak. But, what good would that do? If she ever did regain her voice, she supposed that it, too, would be small and mouse-like.

Her hand slid around her neck and fingered the scar hidden beneath her silken waves. This was her voice. This metal in her head that matched the color of her eyes. This was the one reason she could speak, and Loki was right... she was lucky to have survived her ordeal. She shouldn't be alive... but she was.

With a shrug, Paige dropped her hand to her side. How could he possibly see her as someone mighty? Yes, her telepathy grew stronger by the day, but only because she was free to use it... And he was able to resist everything she threw at him. How was she mighty?

Paige shifted her weight to her good leg and leaned forward, resting her forehead against the mirror. The feeling of the cool glass against her skin helped to calm her, if only for a moment. If only she was stronger... She should have stopped that tree from falling. She could have... if only her telekinesis was stronger. If only _she_ was stronger. She should have been able to save herself. Now, she was only another problem for her prince, when he already had so much to deal with.

Paige placed a hand on the mirror and backed away just enough to gaze into the silver of her own eyes. _Who are you?_ She asked herself. _What are you? Are you a mouse? A cute little mouse for the big bad cat to play with. Hm... you should have stopped that tree. Why didn't you?_


	24. Chapter 24

It took Loki only an hour to purloin a new home. This one surrounded by water, even with its regality. It would be easier to defend if a boat were the only way to get there. With that done, he teleported back to the hotel room and waited patiently in the middle of the parlor. Paige would show herself soon enough, and he would be ready and waiting to whisk her away. He could not get her behind his shields fast enough.

Paige sat on the bed and continued to stare at her reflection. This time, however, her image was reflected back to her a thousand different times by the broken shards of the dresser mirror. She sat twirling a strand of her hair around her right index finger, her eyes never leaving those hundreds that stared back.

Perhaps this was all a dream. That would make sense. Everything she'd been through could be easily explained away as a dream. But, she didn't want it to be a dream. She desperately wanted all of this to be real.

Paige stood from the bed and limped over to the dresser. She raised her hand and hovered it in front of the broken glass. Larger pieces began to crack, while smaller pieces crumbled away into dust. She turned her head and looked at the lamp next to her. It flickered, grew brighter, and then faded to dim. She was so powerful. So... inhuman. What was she? The question repeated itself over and over again in her mind.

She remembered all the times she was made fun of in school. All the times she was forced to work in the back at the library. All the times her mother and Drake frowned on her using her powers. No one could possibly understand. No. This was all a dream. This couldn't possibly be real. It was all too perfect. Yes, she was hurt, but that didn't matter. She'd gotten hurt on the island many times, yet it was still a paradise. No... this was all a dream. She was still trapped in paradise.

Loki felt the unease in the air and released his hands from behind his back. Something was wrong. Very wrong. In an instant, he was invisible, and he prowled in the first direction instinct took him. To the bedroom.

He couldn't see her face because of the shattered mirror, but he could sense something was wrong. He didn't know what it was. Something had changed since he left. Something horrible. She looked otherwise unhurt. Loki dropped the field of invisibility and studied her again. One look at her damp hair told him she had tried to do something with it and failed miserably. He reached a finger to stroke the silky strands back from her face. "What have you done here?" He allowed his hand to linger as he tucked a strand behind her ear.

Something behind her steel eyes had softened. Something had indeed changed in his absence. He couldn't help but glance to her lips. She shouldn't have teased him as she had. Something inside him so desperately wanted her to accept him as more than her captor. To open up to him. Those lush lips beckoned as nothing he'd ever known.

Loki dropped his hand to cup her head around her ear and pulled her to him, pressing his lips against hers in a moment of pure instinct. And he was right. She was perfect.

Paige gave a soft gasp as she was pulled into the kiss. She tried to push away from him at first, but then relaxed in his arms. His kiss was unlike any she'd ever felt before. Drake's kisses had always been soft and playful. But, this kiss was full of passion and desire. It was gentle, yet strong, and pulled her in for more. She slid one hand up the back of his neck and into his hair, pulling him closer to her, as she accepted his kiss and attempted to return it.

After a few moments, she pulled away, panting softly, and leaned her forehead against his. _Don't you think we're rushing this? I only met you a few days ago._ She smiled mischievously and gave him a few more soft kisses, not quite ready to stop kissing him. _Yes, I think we should stop... lest we go too far._

Loki wished she hadn't asked that, but as it was he had previously decided to grant her wishes. He backed away, snaked a hand down to lift her hand, and kissed the tops of her fingers lightly. "As my lady wishes." He straightened, shoving his hands behind his back again. "If you are quite ready, I have found a new fortress. I rather think you'll enjoy it." He smiled, his perfect teeth glistening in the light.

Paige smiled back at him, blushing slightly, and wrapped her arms loosely around his shoulders. _Yes. I'm ready. Take me wherever you wish._ She buried her face in the side of his neck and gave a happy sigh. _This can't possibly be real. You're far too wonderful._ She stood that way with him for a moment, then suddenly turned serious. _When we get to our new home, I have something I want to show you._

Loki smiled down at her, shrugged once, and focused on the grounds where he wished to appear. Sure enough, they ended up near the wading pool, and he could see the 120-room mansion behind her. He nudged her to let go of him. "This, my dear, is Boldt Castle."

Boldt Castle, his palace on an island. They could hide here, and no one would know. He had ensured it with a bit of trickery. Tours were now closed due to... renovations. And the old power-house would serve a new purpose soon enough. He grinned and looked down again to see how Paige would react.

Paige turned and gazed at the beautiful castle. She covered her mouth with her hands, muffling an airy laugh. This palace was far more beautiful than the last. She could hardly take it all in. she turned back toward Loki and hugged him. A strong, sincere, loving hug. _If I am dreaming, never wake me. Perhaps I've died... and now live among the gods myself. Oh, I can't believe this. Thank you._

Loki smoothed a hand over the back of her soft, silky hair and smiled with her. "Believe me, the palace in Asgard is ten times more beautiful. One day I will take you there." He nudged her forward. "Go on. I've brought your things, as well. Up the stairs and to your left. The room in the middle."

Paige nodded and made her way over to the stairs, but then stopped and stared up at them as she leaned against the railing. So many stairs.

 _Um... my prince?_ She tried not to sound as small as she felt. _Perhaps a bit more teleportation is in order. At least, until my leg heals. It's going to take me all day to get up these stairs otherwise. And, I did have something to show you. It's with my things, in my room._

Loki wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, probably closer than necessary for the required task. He hoped she didn't notice. A split second later, they had arrived in the spacious bedchamber, her things settled in a line across the mattress. "Is this better?" Loki purred mischievously.

Paige grinned back at him, unconcerned with how close they were. _Yes. Much better._

After a few moments, she finally stepped away from him and turned toward her violins. She carefully moved them off of the bed, sat down on the edge of the bed, pulled one of her violin cases into her lap, and motioned for her prince to sit next to her.

 _What I'm about to show you means the world to me. More than my violins or books._ She opened the case, removed the cloth from the inside of the lid, and took an object in her hand. In one motion, she set her case off to the side and hid the prized possession between her hands. _Six months after the death of my father, I visited the building where he died. They had finished remodeling it, but it wasn't the same. Not without him. As I sat on the sidewalk outside the building, I noticed something in the gutter. Something shining. I wasn't a telepath back then, so I had to go into the store across the street to ask for a metal hanger... one of those hooks to hang clothes from. I returned to the gutter and used the hook to pull the object out. It was filthy, but I knew exactly what it was when I saw it. I took it home, cleaned it up, polished the metal, and kept it ever since._

Paige glanced down at her hands and shifted the object a bit, causing the tip of a golden hilt to become visible. _I knew it was an Asgardian weapon. The Chitauri didn't have weapons as beautiful as this. Handcrafted out of the finest silver and gold the universe has to offer. I don't know how it ended up in that gutter, or why the rain never washed it away. Maybe I was supposed to find it._

She shrugged and slowly moved her hands to reveal one of his daggers, kept in pristine condition. _Ever since that day, I've kept this blade as a reminder of what happened to my father. I've held on to this, letting my hatred for you fester like an open wound. But then..._ Paige lifted a hand to her eyes and desperately tried to wipe away the tears that were forming. _Then I met you. I'd always hoped to meet you, but I figured things would be so different. I thought I'd have to sneak into SHIELD if they captured you again. I thought that'd be the only way I'd ever have a chance of speaking with you. I had planned to say all these horrible things..._ She sniffled. _The day we met, when I began to cry, I saw the hurt in your eyes. The guilt that drove you from the room. I knew I'd horribly misjudged you. And I'm sorry._

Paige looked up at him and studied his eyes, searching for some form of forgiveness. _You are the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. And I don't hate you, darling, far from it! Yes, there are times when I'm fearful of you, of your rage, but I could never hate you. Never again._ Paige lifted the dagger to her lips and softly kissed the shining hilt, an action that would have disgusted her previously. _My prince, Loki... I believe this is yours._

She held the dagger out to him, waiting for him to take it.

Loki lifted the throwing knife from her palm and weighed it in his own. The balance was still intact. He smiled wanly. He had missed this knife. The one he usually used on Thor when they fought. Long enough to do damage, short enough to ensure the victim lived. Because that was what hurt the worst, the living with the betrayal.

In a moment of impulse, Loki pressed his lips to her palm where the knife had lain and settled it gently back on the spot. "This is yours, as much as it is mine," he decreed. "This is the memory of your father, and the hatred that has now turned. You keep it, I have plenty others."

Paige smiled and looked back down at the knife, turning it over slowly in her hand. _Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me._ She carefully tucked it back away in her violin case, and then leaned her head against his shoulder. _So, tell me more about this castle. Is there a library?_

"There is indeed," Loki was proud to admit. "I thought it over before I confiscated the property. The library is one of my favorite rooms in a palace, as I presume it is yours. Would you care for a visit? It is on the floor below, but that has never been a predicament for one such as myself." He cleared his throat. "You could stay there whilst I run about and complete my business for the day. I could purloin this staff you spoke of while I am out."

Paige nodded. _Yes, it's been days since I've been to a library._ She stopped to consider his other offer. _Alright, but I must warn you of one thing before you go._

She grabbed the collar of his armor and pulled him towards her. She leaned her forehead against his and held his gaze. _Do not, and I repeat,_ _do not_ _hurt my friends. The Avrils have done a great deal to help me, despite their reputation, and I care deeply about them. If I find out that you've done_ _any_ _sort of damage to them, physically or otherwise, you and I shall no longer get along. Do you understand me, Loki?_

Loki smirked, stood straighter, and shrugged his shoulders. "I understand the sentiment. Lady Sif and the Idiots Three have tossed their fair share of threats in my general direction. I cannot promise that I will not protect myself if they seek to harm me." He bobbled his head, considering another option. "And occasionally my dark side gets the better of me. But I shall try."

He swept her up into his arms this time, careful to avoid her injured leg, and easily carried her down the stairs, through a hallway, and into the library. A simple library, not a two-story wonder, but still. Books. It contained books, and that was what mattered. Two overstuffed chairs sat facing the fireplace, with a table between them. Whoever had done the decorating had indeed done it nicely.

Loki settled her gently into one of the chairs and did a 180, perusing what was available. She could pick up anything from there, given her telekinesis. He stroked her hair, buried his face in it as though it would be the last time, and exhaled. He regretted anything he might do to get her what she wished for. He regretted that he might do something she would never forgive him for. So, in case that very thing happened, Loki tilted her chin up and dropped a long, sweet, passionate kiss to her lips. Just in case it was the last time.

Paige wrapped her arms around him and returned the kiss, savoring the feeling of his lips caressing her own. As she kissed him, she sensed something was bothering him. She tried to search his mind, but his veil was still up. If only he trusted her enough to let her in. She slowly pulled away and gazed into his eyes, lightly brushing her fingertips down the side of his face as she did so.

 _Be safe, my prince. I trust you. I wouldn't ask you for this if I didn't trust the good you still have inside of you._ She wrapped her arms around him again, giving him another loving hug, and then pulled away. _Go on. You have work to do._


	25. Chapter 25

Brooke stormed into the main living area in Stark Tower, Captain America five steps behind her. With a huff, she placed her hands on her hips and glared at Tony. "Ten feet rescue jump? Bad idea." She threw an icy glance to Cap, then folded her arms and raised her eyebrows. "No deal. Go away."

"It's for your own safety," Tony explained. "We don't want Reindeer Games to jump you or something. Not that I don't think you could handle yourself, but you weigh... what? Ninety pounds? He'd win, hands down."

"Can't fight without hands, silly," Brooke explained.

Tony sighed. "It's... an expression. Big guy, talk some sense into her."

Thor stood up and placed his hands on Brooke's shoulders. "I no longer trust my brother to leave you unharmed. Until I am certain he will not come for you, I should appreciate it very much if you would allow us to accompany you everywhere. Please, tiny human."

Brooke rolled her eyes and stalked for the hallway. Cap started to follow, but she turned and pressed a palm into his chest. "Bathroom. Stay here."

She reentered the room ten minutes later, looking a lot cheerier. She opened her mouth to say something, and at that instant Loki appeared in a doorway behind her.

"Brooke!" Thor shouted, splitting eardrums in the process. He lunged for his brother as Brooke skittered away, only to fall flat on his face.

Tony summoned one of the gauntlets from his suit.

Loki appeared again, this time directly behind Brooke, and wrapped an arm around her neck. He held her tightly to him, mostly so The Avengers wouldn't try anything idiotic. Loki chuckled. "For all the hard work you put into it, your security measures are surprisingly lacking."

Brooke tried to elbow him, but he simply wrapped his other arm around her middle, trapping her arms. She whined.

Loki glanced down at her and smiled evilly. He knew his brother would catch on to it. "She is leaving with me, Thor."

An arrow shot for Loki's head, but he saw it coming and released her just long enough to snatch it from the air. Then he tossed it aside and held the girl fast.

Stark turned to the archer at the window. "That better not be another exploding one. I just got this place fixed."

"He wouldn't be so sloppy," Loki assured. "Your archer, this Barton, I know him well. He would not risk the girl's life. He cares for her, as all of you seem to." He lowered his mouth to be by Brooke's ear and whispered, "I shall have to discover why."

As all The Avengers surged forward to capture him, Loki transported away with the girl.

They landed in the old power-house on Heart Island, and Loki pushed her forward, away from him. He had other errands to run. He strode for the door, focusing intently on putting up shields to keep the girl in and others out.

She sat still for a moment, on her hands and knees with hair strewn over her face. Then she pushed herself up. "Bad Magic took Mindgames." She turned slowly, watching his retreating back. "Not smart." Brooke launched herself at him, landing on his back and wrapping her arms around his head and neck in a chokehold.

Loki instinctively brought his hands up to meet her arm, prying at an unbudging appendage. She held firm. So he wrapped a hand tightly around one wrist and pulled.

Brooke yelped and dragged the nails of one hand down his cheek. Thankfully, it barely scratched off the top layer of skin. He flipped her over his head and onto the hard tile floor.

The instant he released her wrist, she rolled to her stomach, shot up, and landed a kick to his gut. She really didn't play fair. The second time she kicked at him, he caught her ankle and flipped her again. Only, she landed on her feet, spun, and brought a fist across his face.

That was when _he_ finished playing fair. He grabbed her wrist, caught the next foot that flew, and sent her flying back against a wall. She gasped, the air escaping her lungs, and wrapped an arm around her stomach.

"Learn better than to rage at me, mortal." He teleported out again the instant she rushed for him.

* * *

/

* * *

Paige smiled sadly after she watched Loki disappear. She sincerely hoped she hadn't made a grave mistake in asking him to retrieve one of the Avril Staffs. With a sigh, she decided she had to at least try to be cheerful, if only a little. She was in a beautiful castle, after all. The library of a beautiful castle.

She leaned forward in her chair and glanced slowly over the collection of books, reading each title, row by row. She stopped when she saw the title _The Myths and Legend of Norway_. She grinned and the book flew off the shelf, landing gracefully in her hands. She knew she'd find some sort of distorted legend to tease Loki with later.

Paige flipped the book open and began to skim through the stories. One title, however, caught her full attention. Not because of the importance of the title, but because of what if signified.

 _The Witch of the Iron Wood_. She knew the story well and remembered the hundreds of times she'd read it before, but now it took on a whole new meaning. Paige gazed in horror as she read the story over and over again.

" _Upon the easternmost shore of Midgard stood a dark wood. A wood made of iron. The trees in the land stood tall above all others, yet were hollow and dead inside. The Iron Wood was a land of turmoil and strife, and was far more evil than any region in Jotunheim. It was here Loki traveled in his hatred of the Aesir._

 _He chose for himself a wife, a horrible witch from amongst the humans, and remained in the Wood with her. She was by far the most foul of all the humans, with skin as pale as death, eyes like the iron around her, and hair like the fur of a rat._

 _Over time, the witch bore him three children, each far more evil than the last. The first, Fenrir, took on the form of a wolf, and prowled amongst the realms for those he could devour. The second, Jormungand, took the form of a serpent. He slithered through all of Midgard, bringing a slow and painful death to any who dared to challenge him. The third, a woman, took for herself the form of Death, striking terror into the heart's of any who gazed upon her. Her name was called Hela. Thus, these were the children borne of the witch to Loki. And these, on the great and dreadful day of Ragnarok, would be the mightiest warriors to fight against the Aesir."_

Paige sat back in her chair, her eyes still wide in terror, and let the book sit open on her lap. Was she the witch the prophets of Norway had foreseen? Were those horrible monsters going to be her children? Her throat suddenly felt very dry as she realized her breathing had quickened.

She stood, letting the book rest open on the other chair, and made her way to the window. She opened the casement, trying to let in some fresh air. This place was the definition of perfect. So how could it become a nightmare? How could living with her prince be such a... nightmare? It was only a story. She kept having to remind herself that the prophecy was only a story.

As she stood at the window, she sensed a new energy, a new presence somewhere on the island. Oh, no... one of the heroes must have found her. And Loki wasn't around to stop them this time.

 _Who's there?_ She broadcast into the person's mind, _Who are you?_

* * *

/

* * *

Brooke paced through rooms and rooms and rooms. Too many rooms with too many old things. Couldn't get out. Doors wouldn't budge and nothing to dig with. Arrows and lines screamed red. Stuck. Completely stuck. All Mischief's fault. She shook her head. Kill the messenger to torture the brother. Typical.

 _Who's there?_

Brooke screamed at words in her mind. Not good. Mindgames playing like Drums in her mind. Dancing through and twirling sticks.

She dropped to the floor and pulled at her hair, screaming aloud, "Out! Get out! No more drums. Out, Mindgames!"

 _Who are you?_

"No more drums!" Brooke surveyed the room she sat in, wanting to get away. No more games in her mind. She crawled to the nearest wall. It would hurt, but the only way to get drums to leave. "Ow," she said in anticipation of what would follow.

Brooke banged her head against the tile wall.

* * *

/

* * *

Paige saw the girl's thoughts. Flashes of red and images of doctors. She shuddered as she remembered her own experience with scientists. Something about the way the girl spoke hit home for Paige. It was like the girl was speaking Sign. The grammar was nearly perfect. She decided she'd let her manners slip and speak naturally, letting her hands flow with her thoughts.

 _No. Don't scream. Not hurt you. Far away. Far, far away. In castle. Injured. Thor hit tree with lightning. Fell on me. Hurt leg. Broken. Not gonna hurt you. Far away... Brooke. Your name Brooke. Nice name. Pretty. Don't cry. Sorry hurting thoughts. Only way to speak. Words flee. No voice._

Paige closed her eyes and watched a vision of Brooke hitting her head against a wall in an effort to stop the broadcasting.

 _Please stop. Don't hurt head. I stop talking. You stop hurting head._

* * *

 _/_

* * *

Brooke stopped hitting her head and laid it forward against the coldness of tile. It throbbed, but the voice was gone. Wall did its job. Good wall. She was coherent just long enough to sigh in relief, and then she slumped to the floor. Unconscious.

* * *

/

* * *

Paige frowned when she lost her connection to Brooke's mind. The poor child had beat herself unconscious. She turned away from the window and moved back toward her chair. She hadn't meant to scare the girl. More than anyone, she knew what it was like to have other people bumping around in her head. She hadn't meant to hurt Brooke like that.

With a sigh, Paige flopped back down into her plush lounge chair and stared into the fireplace. Just like the island, this paradise had its monsters. Only this time, she was the monster.


	26. Chapter 26

Loki stepped out of the taxi and stepped to the gate of the facility. His energy was a precious commodity, so he hadn't teleported because he didn't exactly know where he was going. Instead, he'd chosen to arrive like a "normal" mortal. In a taxi.

He lifted his chin, put on his acting face, and banged on a wall. "Let me in, petty humans! I demand to speak to the founder of this institute! Demetri Avril. I know you're in there!"

The guard at the gate peeked out of the small station and looked Loki over. Oh, no. Another rogue patient, come back to demand blood in revenge for the damaging effects of the testing. Great. These were always lovely to deal with. The guard was a large, dark man. All muscle, all force, and used to dealing with both mental patients and rogue soldiers.

As a warning, he raised his taser gun and pointed it at Loki. "Sir, I need you to calm down. You can speak to him, but first... let me get your name. Are you a patient here? Or were you? We apologize for any... inconveniences... you may have had with the experimentation. Those are just side effects. Mr. Avril can't help your mental state. Just let me know who you are and what business you have here, and we'll get you some help."

Loki chuckled at the puny mortal's attempt to threaten him. He leveled his gaze at the soldier. "Tell him it is in regards to his missing telepath. And mention that I am not a patient man. The longer he takes to see me, the less chance he will ever see her again."

The guard swallowed hard and pulled at the walkie-talkie mounted to his shoulder. "Yeah, this is Gate 1. We've got a... bit of a situation out here. Um... boss has company."

"What sort of company?" a voice asked over the radio.

"Man says he's the one who kidnapped Ms. Barnett. Doesn't look too happy, either. You think it's the guy boss was expecting?"

"Let me check."

With that, the guard was left in silence. He swallowed again and gave a nervous chuckle.

* * *

/

* * *

Demetri stood in one of his research labs, helping his mother with their new gloves and trying to perfect the product. He had a white pair on his hands. "I don't care if you can pass them through fire and ice. I want these things to pass through lava without so much as a stain. It want them to go through liquid nitrogen without becoming stiff. Try harder. If we can do this, imagine what else we can create. Whole suits of armor! Astronaut suits! Firemen's garb! Come on, people!"

Just as he turned for the door, a voice came over the loudspeaker. "Mr. Avril, the man you warned us of is here. What should the guard outside do?"

Demetri gave a long sigh. He knew this day would come, he just wasn't expecting it so soon. "Tell him to personally escort him to my office. Meanwhile, I want every floor and room locked down. No one gets in or out for any reason. No more blood has to be spilled than what is absolutely necessary. You have your orders."

"Yes, sir."

The speaker cut off and Demetri gripped his staff. "SID," he continued, "Record this. Upon my death, Dr. Sara Avril is the new owner of Avril Corporation."

"Demetri, what are you doing?" Dr. Sara asked as she walked toward her son. "What is happening? Who is that man outside?"

"Don't worry, Mama. I'll protect you and the rest of our company." He walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Mama. Goodbye." Before his mother could protest, Demetri pulled away from her and quickly went out the door, letting it lock behind him.

Dr. Sara flew to the door and pulled on it, trying to open it. "SIDNES, I command you to open this door!"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Sara," the computerized voice replied. "I cannot. Not without Master Demetri's orders to do so. You will be safe here."

"But what about my son?!" she shrieked. "My son!"

Demetri could hear her screams as he walked down the hall. He tried his best to ignore them as he stepped into an elevator. He rode up a few floors and stepped out into a lobby. Demetri quickly crossed the room, opened a door, walked down a hallway, and went into his office. He sat behind his desk and slowly exhaled.

This was it. Show time.

* * *

/

* * *

Kitania stopped in front of a storefront labeled "Rachmaninoff Instrumentals" and clasped her hands together like a three-year-old who had just been handed a bag of candy. She glanced to the side to make sure Drake was keeping up. The waiting was excruciating. She waited until he was a few steps away, then flung the door open and strutted in.

A tall, dark-haired man raised his arms in welcome and dashed around the counter. "Kitania!"

"Sergei!" Kitania ran into his arms and allowed him to sweep her off her feet in a giant hug.

He set her down and kissed each of her cheeks tenderly. "I've missed you. You don't come in for so long, I worry."

"I know. How's Petrova?"

"Much better. Thank you for asking. Where have you been?"

"Sorry I didn't tell you where I was. I didn't really know myself." Kitania avoided the question and glanced left, to the piano in the window, but didn't ask anything yet. She would introduce people first. That was how it should go, right? Socially? Oh, who cared, she couldn't wait. "Sergei, Drake. Drake, Sergei." A short pause. "Is that the new Bechstein? Can I play it?"

"You know when you play my business increases hundred fold," Sergei motioned to it. "Be my guest."

Drake forced a smile and nodded to the tall man. "It's nice to meet you." His voice was quiet. He didn't really feel like talking to anyone. His heart hurt too much to make small talk.

With a shrug, Drake shoved his hands into his pockets and made his way over to the violins, still thinking of Paige. As he stared at the beautiful crafted wood, he reflected on everything the shadow had told him.

Paige was sleeping with her captor. No. She would never. She loved Drake. She had said so herself. So many times. He had spent so much time with her, so much effort. He had done everything in his power to love her. How could she be sleeping with another man? No. The shadow had to be wrong.

Drake clenched his hand into a fist as he remembered when Bruileo nearly took advantage of Paige on the island. And that had only been a dream. Drake had promised her he would never allow anyone to do that to her again. He had promised her he would protect her. And now that creep had her and forced her to do who-knew-what.

He could feel the darkness rise up inside of him like a cold fury. Unrelenting rage and a need for revenge. He tried to breathe slowly, concentrating on his breaths, in an effort to control himself. In that moment, Drake vowed to do whatever was necessary to make sure Loki died as painful and horrible a death as the darkness of the universe could create.

Kitania took her place at the Bechstein and set her fingers to the keys. She stroked several lovingly, starting with middle C, then moved to strike the first chord of... something. She quickly scanned the room for Drake, just to make sure he was still around. She didn't think she could find her way back to Demetri's without him. He didn't look good. His fists were clenched, and he looked pale again.

She shook her head and watched him absentmindedly as her fingers hammered out Tchaikovsky's " _None But The Lonely Heart_ ". The lilting melody sailed through the air and out through cracks around the door and windows. Slow, then building to a crescendo as waves of emotion infiltrated her playing.

She didn't know why, but as she slowed her fingers to hold out the final notes and pressed her foot down to the petal to maintain the sound, Kitania desperately wished Drake would notice her. And not just for him to notice her quirks and make some obscure reference to this girl he supposedly loved. She wanted him to see _her_. Because Kitania was fast beginning to think he was the only one who could.

Drake turned when he heard Kitania begin to play. Her song was beautiful. Even with all her talent, Paige could never play a song quite so beautiful. He began to calm down as the music flowed through the air. Perhaps music could soothe the savage beast after all.

As the song continued, he made his way over to the piano and leaned against it, smiling. When she finished, he walked closer to her. "That was beautiful, Kit. Could I get an encore?"

He had called her Kit. He had nicknamed her. She'd never had a nickname before, and he had given her one. A sign of good will. Inwardly, Kitania freaked out. He'd all but admitted she was a friend, at least. She didn't think she'd really ever had a true friend. Outwardly, she shrugged. "I guess. Dunno what to play though. Suddenly, I'm drawing a blank."

"Play _Katjusha_!" Sergei called form his place behind the counter.

"Nobody asked you!" Kitania yelled back. "And you always want me to play _Katjusha_. Pick a new favorite."

"What is so wrong with _Katjusha_? Is a good song!"

"Whatever!" Kitania turned her attention to Drake. "What do you want me to play? I take song names, emotions, and vibes."

"Vibes?" Drake laughed. "That's a new one. Hm. What about _Moonlight Sonata_? That's always been one of my favorites." Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. "Hold that thought." He opened his phone and answered it.

"Master Drake, there's been a problem at the facility," the automated voice spoke over the phone. "You programmed me to contact you in case of any emergencies."

"It's fine, SID. What's happened? Is it Loki? Did he come for the rest of us?"

"I believe so, sir. I've already contacted the others and put them on alert. The facility is under lockdown. He's on his way to speak to Master Demetri."

"I'm on my way. Tell no one, not even De. I have unfinished business with Loki." Drake hung up his phone and growled low in his throat. He then turned to Kitania. "I'm sorry, we have to go. Demetri's in trouble and there may be injured people. You can help with your healing. Come on."

With that, Drake dashed out of the store and down the street, hoping Kitania would follow.

Kitania let the words sink in, tossed one last longing glance at the Bechstein, and headed for the door. "Sorry, Sergei! I'll be back... sometime... soon!" She raced after Drake, running to catch up with his long strides and skipping a few steps to stay in rhythm.

She tripped over a rough spot on the sidewalk and lurched forward, grabbing Drake's arm to steady herself. She let go immediately, pulled her sleeves down over her hands, and wrapped her arms around herself. She still had to skip steps to keep up with him.

"What happened?" She shook her head, corrected herself. "What _is_ happening?"

Drake glanced back at Kitania and slowed his pace, but only slightly. "The man who kidnapped Paige has come back for the rest of us," he explained as he walked. "I'm not like you. I wasn't born with this power. My abilities were created in a laboratory. Demetri's lab. We all have the implants that give us powers. Paige, Demetri, myself... we all have amplifiers that magnify our brainwaves, giving us our abilities. De thinks Loki wants to use our powers to take over the human race. He kidnapped Paige first, now he's come for us. He's at the lab right now, going after De. We're going to stop him."

Drake stopped dead in his tracks and looked Kitania square in the eyes. " _I'm_ going to stop him. If you want out, this is your one chance. You can turn around now and go back to your piano. Or, you can come with me and help. But, there's a chance you could get hurt. I don't want that. I'm tired of losing my friends to this madman. It's up to you, Kit."

Kitania stopped in her tracks and considered what he was offering. She could back out. Run away, like she always did. Or she could push on and follow the adventure. She smiled wickedly and tilted her head at an odd angle. "You couldn't talk me out of this if you tried. It's about time I helped someone other than myself." She finally fell into a comfortable stride next to him and shrugged a shoulder. "Besides, like you said, someone could be hurt. Far be it from me to deny them... _medical_ assistance."

Drake grinned and continued walking. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."


	27. Chapter 27

"Go ahead and bring him in," the guard's radio buzzed after a few minutes. "Escort him to boss's office. Don't let him near any other rooms."

"Copy that," the guard spoke, his voice laced with fear. He turned to Loki and motioned for him to follow. "He'll speak with you."

The guard led him into a building that looked very much like a hospital. Red lights flashed on the walls, signaling the lockdown, but all the alarms remained silent. A rule Demetri had put in place to ensure he could still function in an emergency. The guard led him into the elevator and up to Demetri's floor. As the door opened to reveal the lobby, the guard pointed to the door across the room. "Through that door. The room as the end of the hall." The large, strong guard absolutely refused to get out with the madman. They couldn't pay him enough to get involved in that mess.

Loki smirked at the cowering guard and thought about what kind of mischief he could play. So many options. He settled on one, exited the elevator, and mentally short-circuited some of the wiring. It would take a long while for the man to return to the floor he wished. A few long strides brought him to the door the man had indicated, and Loki made sure to compose himself before he did anything. He couldn't afford to lose his temper. He reached the specified room and didn't bother to knock.

Loki lifted his chin and barged through the door.

* * *

/

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Drake and Kitania arrived outside of the facility. The guard's station was empty and the gate bolted shut. Drake immediately went into the guard's tower, inserted his flash drive into the computer, and began to hack into the security system. Within moments, the gate buzzed and began to slide open. "Come on. We have exactly five minutes before the other guards will be alerted to the system override. SID is smart, but he's still a defense program. He'll let us in, but we'll still be counted as enemies."

Drake strode into the main lobby and headed for the elevator, but when he tried to call it, it wouldn't respond. "That creep must have shorted out the system. The elevator won't work, and this is the only one that leads up to De." He opened a nearby panel and began to mess with the wires. "This could take a few minutes." He held out a hand and a few shadows rose from the ground, taking the form of dark-skinned human soldiers clad in black apparel. "Keep watch! If any guards arrive, take them out."

The shadows nodded and slipped into the nearby corners.

Kitania followed him to the elevator and rolled her eyes when he set to work hacking again. There had to be an easier way. Not that she'd done much breaking and entering in her life, but she was good at sneaking around. A single 180 provided her the alternative she had been looking for.

Three long strides, and she was beside the medium-sized air duct. One good bang on the side and it loosened enough for her to remove the cover. Drake would never fit, but she would. She dove in before he could stop her. The trick would be worming her way to De's office.

Drake heard a bang and turned to see Kitania wiggling her way into the air duct. "No, wait!" But it was too late, she was gone.

Drake gave an exasperated sigh and continued his work on the wires. Without looking away from them, he spoke to the sentries. "One of you, go after her. Make sure she stays safe."

In an instant, one of the sentries dissolved into a dark mist and slipped into the air duct.

It only took minutes for Drake to reroute the electrical system. But, minutes were far too long. Just as the call light lit and the elevator began its decline, a group of armed guards appeared in the spacious lobby.

"Freeze! This building is under lockdown."

Drake froze, his hand still on the metal panel. Behind him, one by one, the guards began to disappear into the floor. Just as quickly as they had disappeared, dry skeletons scantily clad in strips of former uniforms took their places. Drake turned and watched as the last guard, the one who had spoken, was pulled down into the Shadow Lands. In an instant, his bony remains reappeared. The lone black sentry reappeared in the midst of the pile of bones, his dark tongue licking his lips.

Drake, too stunned for words, slowly backed to the door of the elevator. As it dinged and the door opened, another guard stepped out. The two had only a moment to exchange fearful glances before the guard was sucked out into the lobby. Drake screamed, pressed himself against the back of the elevator, and watched in horror as another bony body joined the others. The doors closed, leaving him in a state of pure shock.

Drake growled as the elevator inched its way up. Rewiring the system must not have worked. He cursed softly under his breath. Then, realization dawned on him. The Shadow Lands. He could travel through the Shadow Lands.

A smirk played at the corners of his lips as he melted into the floor. As he appeared in the swirling red sand of the dry shadow desert, tall and ominous shadows appeared around him. "Come, shadow friends. Lead me to where Demetri is."

* * *

/

* * *

Kitania made it through the duct and somehow managed to scoot around enough to kick out another vent cover. If memory served her, and it usually did, this looked like the right floor. She tumbled out into the hallway and raced to the door at the end. The one she could hear voices coming from. She froze, inches from the entrance, and took a moment to reevaluate her situation. She hadn't really thought past the whole "worm through the vents" thing. Drake would probably kill her for leaving him alone down there, if De didn't kill her for showing up alone and unarmed first. Oh, well. At least it would be interesting.

She braced herself and peered around the doorframe.

* * *

/

* * *

Demetri jolted as he heard his office door slam back against the wall. His office was fairly large and empty. His father's old bookshelves and equipment had been removed years ago. Demetri had no use for them.

He stood facing the window, feeling the sunshine on his face one last time. He had removed his sunglasses and gloves, leaving them folded on his desk. "Welcome, Loki. I've been expecting you. You've taken something of mine, and a thief always returns for more." He turned to face the enemy, his distant eyes open to reveal his blindness. Demetri's irises were brown, but his pupils were pure white. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, while his eyes as a whole sunk back into his skull. "I know how this is going to end, and I'm not too fond of the thought of it. But first, tell me, how is she?" his voice was sincere, showing his obvious concern for his friend. "Paige is very precious to me. I hate to think what you've done to her."

"She isn't yours," Loki corrected, stepping into the office and surveying the scene. He moved deftly across the room, stopping beside the window to make sure no one sought him here. "And, as you well know, a villain doesn't reveal his secrets."

Demetri's sightless gaze followed Loki's movements. "She's as much mine as she is yours." He chuckled at Loki's 'villain' comment. "You speak wisely, my friend. Neither villain nor magician reveal their secrets. From what I hear, you're both. As am I." Demetri turned and began to slowly walk along the walls of the room, hovering his hand over the ink drawings hanging on the walls. He stopped in front of a drawing of a rose. "Tell me, how is it possible that blind man can draw?" He passed his hand over the drawing and the black rose appeared in his hand, leaving the frame canvas empty. "Or how imagination can become reality." He turned and laid the rose on the corner of his desk. "This rose is for Paige. She always loved my roses. Be careful, the ink has a tendency to stain. If she still lives, I hope you'll give it to her.

Demetri sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I know why you stole her away. She is the most powerful of us all. She has more courage and strength then any of us. Her wit and charm has always impressed me. ...I've heard of your power over people's minds. How you take them and twist them." Demetri frowned and rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm not proud of what my company did to her. What my uncle did to all of us, myself included. If you're inside her mind, I know you've seen the horrors. Surely you're not cruel enough to put her through that any further. I can only beg you to be kind to her. She's suffered enough. If you want my secrets, I'll give them to you. Albeit, not willingly, but you'll have them. Don't torture her to get them. That's all I ask."

Loki scoffed and refrained from rolling his eyes. "People say I am pompous, but how arrogant must one be to assume I target one to find him?" He turned to face the man, only briefly noting the rose on the desk. "As for what your _company_ did to her..." He made a very ungentlemanly noise, somewhere between a snort and a laugh. "You know as well as I that had you cared for her, you could have spared her this pain. Spared the knife that blazed into her flesh and tore out her soul. Spared the agony of an attack on her very mind, the complete vulnerability you left her open to. You think I would tear into her mind as coldly as you did? You are quite mistaken, for what you did brought only pain and suffering. I intend to bring her freedom." He stopped, thinking of what he had tried to promise Paige. If he said much more, he might explode in rage. He took a calming breath, waiting for Demetri's reply.

Demetri frowned and was silent for a long while. Finally, he spoke, his voice soft and solemn. "The program was never meant for her. I had no idea my uncle would experiment on civilians. I know the tortures she went through. They sliced me open the same as they did her. If I could take back what happened to her, I would. But, even if I could, she'd never let me. If you've spent any time with her, you know how headstrong she can be. Through her pain, I gave her freedom, far more than you could ever give her. I gave Paige her voice back."

Demetri pushed away from the wall and walked closer to Loki. "And why should you care for my telepath? She's no more to you than collateral. A means to an end. You'll pick us off, one by one, until you get what you want." He shifted his hand to grip his folded staff. "But, let me tell you, we will fight to the very last breath. Every one of us. And we will fight for her."

"Her hands were as much voice as this new way to speak, and far less torment to her." Loki rolled his shoulders to keep himself calm. "Of course you will fight for her. She is worth fighting for. If you think me so callous as to only use her as a – how did you put it? – means to an end, then you underestimate me much more than I anticipated. Perhaps you are not as grand as she depicts you to be."

"Perhaps, but now I can hear her. Her signs meant nothing to me before the experiment. Now, she's able to speak into my mind the same as any other." Demetri continued walking closer to him, until he was face-to-face with his enemy. "I will admit, Paige does think more highly of me than she probably should. I'm no angel, by any means. Yes, I created the program. Every detail, every torment. But, it wasn't meant for her. It was meant for soldiers. Those with the strength to handle it. Do you truly think you are so much better than me, Loki? What do you plan to do with my Paige, if not ravage what's left of her delicate mind? And you have the nerve to call it freedom. Don't act as if you care for her. Surely you only want her for her power. That's all anyone wants." He grinned. "Power. Over the world, over the mind, over every aspect of life. Over life itself. She's only a pawn in our game of war. We all are. Pawns in a game of life and death."

"So, is that it? Paige is a pawn in your endless game of war? Oh dear, how swiftly you forget your pawns when others show themselves." Loki smiled wickedly and didn't back down. "I hear tell of a new fascination of yours. A girl without a home, whose fingers bless those around her with music. Oh, yes. I know of her. You think I would come here without knowing my enemy?" He looked past Demetri and saw the girl cowering behind the doorframe. "Even now, you would hide her existence from me. For fear, I wonder? Is it fear that drives you, Demetri? Her neck is a twig I could snap between my fingers if I so chose." He locked eye contact with her, just for a moment, and sneered. "Or perhaps I shall see how it feels between my lips first."

In an instant, a silver blade was at Loki's throat. Behind him, black daggers hovered in midair. "You will do no such thing," Demetri stated. "Not while I still have breath in my body. If you want Paige, you have her. But you shall not touch Kitania."


	28. Chapter 28

"Kitania, is it?" Loki chuckled, cloned himself, and switched places to behind Demetri. "Quite the pretty lost lamb, isn't she? Hiding in your corridor while you make idle threats." He tossed a glance in Kitania's direction, and she ducked back behind the doorframe.

 _Idiot,_ he read her thoughts. _Why didn't you wait for Drake? This is_ _not_ _your area of expertise!_

So, Paige's former lover was alive indeed. Loki smiled, turned to fully face Demetri's back, and waited for the man to respond to the sudden shift in the status quo. Yes, this fight could end well. All he needed was Demetri out of the way. He wouldn't allow the man to lead a revolt that would crush Paige altogether. He lifted his chin, preparing for the worst. And, of course, keeping an ear out for the girl in the hall.

Demetri gasped when he heard his enemy behind him. He knew Loki was fond of tricks and perhaps this was one of them. Demetri glanced over his shoulder, listening for the sound of Loki's breathing. The trickster might have been able to project his voice, but he wouldn't be able to mask everything. After a moment, Demetri realized that Loki was behind him after all. Upon regaining his bearings, he turned to face his enemy once again.

That's when he heard it. Kitania cowering out in the hall.

"No, she wouldn't. She wouldn't do that." Demetri turned his head toward the open office door and listened for her frightened escalated breathing. When he heard it, he turned back toward Loki. "No. This is a trick. One of your stupid little tricks. Stop this. Immediately. Get out of my head. Last I saw her, she was with Drake. He took her away, and this place is under lockdown. Kitania isn't here."

"Oh, but how wrong you are. You hear her. I have not become well enough acquainted with her to replicate her breathing patterns. No, no. She is quite certainly here." Loki tilted his mouth to throw his next question over his shoulder. "Aren't you... Kitania?"

He heard her stop breathing for a minute and then suck in a large gasp of air. She would not reply, of this he was certain. But no matter, he hadn't come for her anyway.

Demetri heard her stop breathing, and then her gasp of air. He growled. "Stop this! If she is here, let her come to me." He held his hand out toward the doorway. "It's fine, Kitania. He won't hurt you. I'll make sure of that. Come here. Let me know you're here. Why did you come back? Is Drake here? How did you get past the security?"

Just then, a shade appeared behind Kitania. "Don't trust him," it hissed softly in her ear. "Stay here. Allow me to protect you."

Kitania shrieked and rushed into the room. She flattened herself by the door, on the inside now. That Loki character turned slightly to grin at her. She shivered. Loki and Demetri, or creepalicious shadow? Loki it was.

"Drake's trying to rewire the elevator," she confessed. "I put my minimal cat burglary skills to use and climbed through a duct. There's a shadow in the hallway and for Pete's _sake_ just get this over with and get me out of here!"

Loki scowled at the mention of the boy's name. First he was dead and now he was here to avenge his beloved? A shadow in the hallway. It all made sense now. The Shadow Lands that had come to pervade his humble hideaway. He would need to make quick work and be off before this Drake arrived.

"Paige sent me after the Avril staff," he addressed Demetri. "Give it to me immediately, that I may be on my way. Do so, and I swear I shall leave all herewithin alive and in good health."

Demetri turned back toward Loki. "My staff?" He gave a humorless laugh. "No way." He gripped the silver blade tighter, took a step back, and spun it, releasing his full staff. "Paige knows how much this staff means to me. It's nearly indestructible. And, she has no need of it herself. I don't believe your lies."

Demetri took a step forward again and glanced toward Kitania. "You might want to go back out in the hall. If Drake sent that shadow, it's to protect you. Leave! I don't want you getting hurt."

Loki watched the girl blink incessantly.

"Are you kidding me?!" she blurted. "I can't stand the things! First one he sent after me almost killed me _and_ him, or don't you remember?"

With a brief roll of his eyes, Loki shot the girl a warning glance.

"On the other hand, maybe they're not so bad." She sidestepped to be fully in the doorway.

Loki chuckled at her easy willingness to obey and turned his attention to Demetri. "I assure you, I do not lie when I tell you she needs it. She is in grave danger and if she does not have it I dread to think what will happen to her if I am not there to protect her. Though I wish it so, I cannot be a hundred places at once. Give me the staff before I do something I sorely regret." Let him think what he would about that statement. He had never tried to hold off Earth's Avengers _and_ protect an innocent telepath before.

Demetri tightened his grip on his staff, considering Loki's words. "Answer me this first: why do you care so much about someone you hardly know? You would not believe the hatred she has toward you for killing her father. You're right, she does need to be protected... from you and whatever you plan to do to her. Also, why not give her any other weapon? Knives, a gun, anything really. Why _my_ staff? I don't believe you." Demetri spun and struck at Loki, aiming for his neck.

Out in the hall, the shadow guard grabbed Kitania's shoulder. "Stay here," it hissed. "If they get too close, I will protect you. My master is on his way."

Kitania saw the fight begin, and didn't know what to do. She couldn't fight, so she couldn't protect De. But she didn't want to stay with the shadow recruit either. She sighed and resigned herself to the fact that for now she was stuck with the dark one. Helpless to help anyone.

Loki easily side-stepped the blow Demetri sent his way and pulled a knife from a concealed sheath. "I know her better than most. Better than you ever could." He ran a finger along the edge of the desk, noting a cylindrical object atop a stack of papers. "Is this the mysterious staff?" he asked. "It does not look as dangerous as you predict it to be." He waited for the next attack.

Upon realizing that he had missed his target, Demetri turned and faced his opponent again. "Ha! What do you know about her? Do you know of the countless hours she spent swearing her revenge on you? The days she spent crying herself to sleep? Do you know how much you have consumed her life these past years?" He scoffed. "Here's something I bet you didn't know. With a press of a button, I could control her. I already have, once. I'll say this now, before Drake shows up. Paige is an excellent lover. It's a shame she doesn't remember." He laughed softly. "Tell me, Loki, has she fought you yet? Made you bleed? I pretend like I don't know what happened to all of us while we were asleep, but I do. We're soldiers now. Super-solders."

Demetri smirked and leaned against the edge of his desk. " _That_ staff is a prototype. A display piece, about a foot shorter on either end and made out of a titanium-steel compound. The real staff is here, in my hand." He gestured with the long, duel-bladed, silver rod in his hand. "Tell you what, she can have that one. The perfect weapon for a woman. It's as short as she is. Tell her it's a gift. And give Paige these gloves here as well. She gave me the idea for them anyway; it's only fair she gets a pair. Perhaps she can use them to keep your blood off her hands when she kills you."

Loki squared his shoulders and lifted his eyes to the wall beyond the desk, hoping to calm himself. To forget that this man, the one whom Paige seemed to trust, had taken advantage of her when she was most vulnerable. Had lied to her and taken the one thing Paige would never have given freely.

Unfortunately, Loki had never been one to let go of his anger easily. "Your claim is a strange one, as it cannot be proven. However, I will take you at your word as Paige has for so long now. Let it be known that you will only pay for the travesties you have bestowed upon one who so dotes on you. As for the staff..." He turned and lifted his chin. "I will have to take it."

In a split second, Loki had cloned himself and switched places. He ran his spear up through Demetri's back, slicing his heart in two.

"And you were wrong about one thing." He removed his spear and let De's body slump to the floor. He knelt for one moment, to whisper one last thing. "She _adores_ me." He ripped the staff from Demetri's fingers and returned to the desk as a piercing scream carried in from the hall.

The shadow flinched ever so slightly when the female screamed. It watched as the human boy dropped easily to the ground, spilling his delicious blood all over the floor. The shadow's red eyes glanced up at the half-breed, knowing a fight with the sorcerer would leave it badly wounded. So, instead, it opted to slip into the female's shadow, clinging to her.

Loki hid his spear and the staff, then turned to the stack of papers with the second staff. He'd take it all, just in case Paige needed any of it. He heard rapid footsteps behind him, but ignored them as well.

" _You_! What did you do?!"

It was only then that he turned to see the girl from the hallway. Kitania, wasn't it? She stood, staring him down. Her hands clenched at her sides. And, oh, was that light seeping through the cracks of her fingers? Perhaps fate had smiled on him after all.

"You idiot moron!" Kitania screamed, taking a step toward him. He surmised it was fueled by anger rather than bravery. "You didn't have to kill him!"

"What will you do about it?" Loki asked, advancing on her quickly. "What can you offer to make his life... worth living?" He shot up a shield to keep anyone on the other side of the door out, and reached out to grab her arm with one hand as she backed away.

"N-nothing. Nothing."

The shadow followed obediently as the female marched in the room and confronted the half-breed. A shield shot up behind it, but it was safe in the female's shadow. Upon seeing her lumen, however, it quickly slipped up her back and into the hood of her jacket.

"Stop lying to me!" Loki pulled her close and buried the fingers of his other hand in her hair, tugging hard. He noticed that she didn't unclench her fists, and the light seemed to grow brighter. He ran the fingers that had clenched her arm lightly down the length of it, clasped her wrist, and turned it so her palm would face him. "Open your hand like a good little pet," he cooed.

Kitania winced as he pulled at her hair again, then slowly uncurled her fingers and let the light shine forth.

Loki smirked at the light that nearly blinded him, then turned his head to look down into her frightened eyes. He could hear her ragged breath. She shouldn't have come in if she could not control her power. The power he had seen only once before.

"You are a healer. Just what I need."

The slight parting of her lips and the gasp that escaped them were enough to tell him he was right.

He leaned closer and cast one last glance to the door. "Do as I say, and you will be safe. I won't tell your secret if you don't."

* * *

/

* * *

Drake fought his way through the red sands of the Shadow Lands, fighting hard to keep up with his servants. Everything seemed to move so slowly, as if life itself struggled to escape the sands. He recognized the rooms and equipment around him, but saw it all as if it was only a shifting mirage.

Suddenly, a piercing scream forced its way through the silence. Drake broke into a sprint, his body forming in the material world out of the shadows around him. Soon, he gathered his bearings and found that he was running down the hall that led to Demetri's office. With a loud thud, he ran smack into Loki's barrier.

He saw Demetri lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. Loki had Kitania by her hair and forced her to show her lumen. As the bright light filled the room, a hiss escaped Drake's lips. He growled low in his throat and bared rows of sharp teeth at Loki, his now red eyes flaming with vengeance.

"Let her go!" He snarled, his voice distorted, as he pounded on the barrier. He tried to slip through it, but the shield extended even into the Shadow Lands. "When I get a hold of you, I'm going to rip you apart! You hear me, half-breed? You will die and will stay dead!" Drake released an inhuman roar as he threw himself at the barrier, attempting to break it with brute force.

Loki heard the boy in the hallway. Interesting, that this shadow-walker who supposedly loved the telepath could so swiftly turn his attentions to another woman. But, then, Kitania – this healer – was special. Never as special as Paige, but he could see the attraction. He tightened his grip in her hair.

With a flick of his wrist, Loki let down the barriers. And then he teleported before the boy could reach him. He was sure the boy was inches from having a grip on Kitania. Parting was such sweet sorrow.

Drake snarled as Kitania was transported away before he could reach her. He had been so close.

With a sigh, he returned to normal and glanced at his old friend. Blood still pooled out of the young dead man.

Drake pulled his phone from his pocket, knowing he had to alert the others. He quickly dialed a number. "Eric, it's Drake. You got that message earlier, right? About the facility being under attack? Demetri was killed. Tell the others and... bring Minna."

* * *

/

* * *

They landed in the grand hall at Boldt Castle, and Kitania's scream was muffled only by Loki's hand over her mouth. He shot up a barrier to lock the doors and windows, then dropped her to the floor by the piano. She scurried toward the instrument's leg and whimpered as she wrapped her arms around it.

Loki stood over her, not giving her much personal space. "I am in need of your services, and you will do as you're told. If not, there will be dire consequences. Do you understand?"

The girl nodded enthusiastically.

"Good." Loki turned on his heel and headed toward the library. "Follow me, then."


	29. Chapter 29

Paige gazed sadly down at the book of Norse Mythology. Surely she couldn't be the witch it spoke of. Surely.

With a sad sigh, she ran her fingers over an image of Loki. They'd almost gotten it right. Hair was a bit long, but she could still tell it was supposed to be him. As if their minds were connected after all, she heard the click of his boots out in the hall. He was back.

Paige slowly stood, her leg still very sore. _Oh, good. I was starting to worry. How did it..._ she trailed off as she noticed a girl cowering behind him. _Loki, who is this? What did you do?_

"She is a healer," Loki explained. "Please sit, Paige. She can heal your wounds far better than my weak attempts."

Kitania snorted and rolled her eyes. "If you think I'm going to help you after—"

Loki glared at her, and timid as she was she threw her hands up in surrender.

"Okay, fine. Who am I to deny someone in need the treatment they deserve?" She leaned against the wall and folded her arms over her chest. "Whenever you're ready."

With a contented sigh, Loki gave her a look that said he was pleased with how she had decided to handle it. Then he turned to Paige again. He reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Please, little telepath. I cannot stand to see you in pain."

Paige leaned her head into his hand when he touched her hair. _Of course, my prince._ She sat down and motioned for the healer to come closer. _And your attempts were not weak, Loki. You healed me far better than any doctor could. I could walk again thanks to you. It's not your fault your brother dropped a tree on me... Well, not entirely your fault. He shouldn't have aimed for the woods. Either way, my leg was crushed and you took the time and energy to put my bones back together again._ She reached up and took his hand in both of hers. _And now you've brought me a healer to fix the minor fractures. Thank you._

Paige softly kissed the back of his hand, and then looked up at him. That's when she noticed a few drops of blood on his armor. _Loki, my prince, is... is that... blood... on your armor?_ She looked up into his eyes, searching for the truth. _Please tell me you didn't. You promised. You promised!_

Loki shot a look at Kitania, both wishing for her silence and commanding her to come forth. She should obey both if she didn't want him to hurt something. Or someone.

Like a good little pet, Kitania pushed off from the wall and settled to her knees in front of Paige. She took a deep breath, concentrated hard, and focused on the girl in the chair. They had said something about fractures... Yes. Right there. In her leg. Kitania could feel the sharp edges of bone that hadn't healed.

 _Loki, you didn't answer me. Who does that blood belong to?_

Kitania sighed, reached a hand to hover above Paige's thigh, and flexed her fingers. Her lumen eased out and engulfed the wound, tying together the broken pieces. It would take several minutes of concentration to fix it completely.

Despite herself, Kitania's mind wandered to how disappointed Drake would be. Paige seemed pretty at ease with Loki, and for the record she didn't think the girl was unwilling. At least not any more. The bigger question lied in what Loki would do with her once she had done his bidding. Keep her? Beat her? Or try to kill her? Whatever it was, she'd take it. She'd have to. No one would come to rescue her. No one cared, not even Drake. If he came for anyone, it would be for the girl she was now healing.

Distractions caused the healing process to take two minutes longer than it should have. Whatever. It wasn't like either of them would know. Kitania rocked back on her heels and glanced to Loki. "Fixed it."

Loki nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Good."

As she waited for his reply, Paige had heard Kitania's thoughts. _Drake is alive?_ She reached forward and grabbed Kitania by the collar of her shirt, completely forgetting about the blood on Loki's armor. _What... the shadows... they're his? No. He didn't have powers. He's not one of us. How is he still alive?_

Without realizing it, Paige shook the girl fairly violently.

Kitania had never been shaken so hard before. She thought that her brains might leak out her eyes or something. She reached up to clutch at the girl's wrists, willing her to stop but unable to say anything.

Loki gently settled his hands on Paige's shoulders and took a deep breath. "Paige... little one... you are hurting her. You must cease this behavior." He sighed, fairly audibly. "Paige. Paige! The blood is not Drake's, if that is what you are thinking."

Paige released the girl and looked up at Loki. _I didn't think it was. But... he was there. With Demetri. And there's blood on your armor. No... tell me you didn't. Tell me you didn't hurt him! You tell me or I'll read her mind and find out!_ She immediately stood and pulled away from him, now able to stand without pain. She held her hand out for the staff. _Let me have it. Give me the staff you would harm my friends for._

Like an idiot, Loki gave in to her demand. He produced the staff and extended it to her. At the time, he didn't think it could hurt matters much. His second act was to glare down at Kitania, ensuring she wouldn't run off this time. As he had known she would, Kitania curled her knees to her chest and backed against the side of the chair. She wouldn't be going anywhere.

"You don't know what he did to you. You don't know what he hid." Loki knew it would hurt her deeply if he told her what her precious Demetri had done to her without her knowledge or consent. So he lowered his gaze and shook his head once. "I'm so sorry, my beloved telepath."

 _No..._ Paige gripped the staff tightly and looked down at it. She could see where it was stained with blood on one side, from where Demetri's blood had pooled out while he was still holding it. She gripped it tighter, letting her telekinesis swirl around the inside of the cylinder, releasing the inner locks. Her anger and hurt built with so much intensity that she never heard Loki say he loved her. _Is he still alive?_ She asked, her voice suddenly calm.

Loki looked down, put up his mental shields, and prepared to resist her telekinesis. If she was anything like him, her sudden calmness meant imminent danger. It was no use denying it, as she would never believe the lie and would only attempt to read Kitania's thoughts. "He is not." He steadied himself for whatever would come next, his muscles tightening in anticipation.

Paige gasped softly and closed her eyes. No, she couldn't believe it. She'd had her best friend killed just so she could have his staff. _You said you wouldn't... you promised._ Tears began to stream down her cheeks. Suddenly, she turned to Kitania. _I'm sorry, but I have to lock you in._ Paige broadcast only to her. _I don't want you getting hurt. Don't try to leave and no matter what happens, don't try to help._ She looked to Loki again, her tears still pouring. _Come with me. I want to speak with you in private._

Paige walked past him and out into the hall. When he set foot in the hall, the doors immediately slammed shut behind him, sealing Kitania in. In an instant, Paige struck at him with the staff, both it and the blades fully extended.

 _I trusted you!_ She screamed in his mind. _First, my father, and now Demetri! Must you killed everyone I love?!_

Loki growled and wiped at the blood where a blade had hit him on the cheek. He didn't want to hurt her, but this could not go on. He would not allow her to harm him and get away with it. "I'm sorry," he apologized one last time. "But you did not know. I could not let him think he had gotten away with what you did not know."

He dodged her next blow and circled around behind her with one smooth motion.

 _What? What didn't I know? See, you're keeping secrets from me, too! I thought you were different! I thought you'd changed! But you're still that rat that destroyed my home. You kill because it's fun. No other reason. I can't believe I trusted you._

Paige sent a powerful telekinetic blast at him, then turned to strike at him again. She couldn't let him get away with killing her best friend. It didn't matter how much she'd fallen in love with him. Loki had broken his promise, and she could never forgive him.

"You would never believe me!" His full armor melted onto him, from head to foot. "I am different, but how is one to convince you when you would believe the truth to be a lie?" He avoided her telekinetic blast and dodged her blow, turning instead to send a blow into her elbow. She couldn't be allowed to continue this pathetic game of war, no matter how much he loved her. This had to end. One way or another. He hoped he wouldn't have to use his last resort.

Paige gave a small cry when he struck her, but was still undeterred from her mission. She circled slowly, now taking a defensive stance, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

In truth, he frightened her. Standing there in his golden armor, he looked both magnificent and menacing, all at once. He was clearly more powerful than she was and could kill her in an instant if he wanted to. This thought scared her the most. The fact that he could kill whomever he pleased as easily as if he was only breathing. It required no thought. Was almost an instinct, surely. And all with the grace and skill of a king. He made war look beautiful. And that was the one thing she despised in him.

With an airy sob, she began to strike at him again and again, finally hitting the armor of his left arm. Her blade was sharp enough to slice through the leader, creating a small hole in his sleeve, but barely scratched the golden metal above it.

 _More riddles?_ She sobbed. _Truth, lie, it's all the same to you! You killed him because you wanted to. I know Demetri! Had you simply asked, he would have given you the staff. He had more of them! He was kind, generous! You didn't have to_ _kill_ _him_ _!_

Enraged, Paige spun and struck at Loki's leg, hoping to knock him off balance and give herself the advantage.

Loki thought quickly. With little effort, he cloned himself and switched places. Now, he was upright. "I did ask. He didn't give." He inspected the hole in his armor. That would have to be mended. And how dare she try to cut his arm! He was done. Finished. This all stopped now.

He summoned his spear to him and held it tightly, waiting for her next strike. He would be ready to end this battle, as swiftly as it had started. And she would understand. She would always understand.


	30. Chapter 30

Paige eyed Loki's scepter, wary of its power. She knew he could harm her if he wanted to, but he really wouldn't... would he? He seemed to love her, but had broken his promise. He treated her well... but only as long as she obeyed him. But, really, what did she have to lose? Her father was gone, Drake would never come for her, and her mother could care less. She was alone in the world. Let Loki do as he wished. He would still pay for what he'd done.

Paige struck at him again, trying to avoid his scepter, but still trying to cause him harm. She didn't want to kill him. She'd never want that. But she did want him to know the pain of betrayal.

Loki grabbed her arm, flipped her to the floor, and straddled her slim waist. With one hand, he yanked the staff from her grasp and stored it away where she couldn't get to it. Then he settled that hand on her shoulder, keeping her still. He pressed the end of the scepter to her heart, ready to take over. But, something stopped him. He couldn't do this to her. He couldn't hurt her. What once he had thought nothing of suddenly bore the weight of the world.

Her slight form heaved beneath him, and he looked down into those haunting eyes. Each moment spent in that engulfing understanding cooled his rage further. His helmet and battle armor slowly melted away. Still angered, he kept the scepter at her heart, silently threatening to use it. But, he was slowly losing his nerve.

Paige suddenly found herself on the floor with Loki on top of her. Before she could react, his scepter was pressed to her heart. In an instant, memories of AVCORP flowed through her mind. Horrible memories of being stranded inside herself, while the world caved in around her. But, this time would be much worse. This time, she didn't have a secret paradise to escape to. She didn't have friends or fantasies to cling to. This time, she was completely alone, with her only comfort being that _he_ would be inside her mind.

 _Wait_ , she pleaded, her voice full of fear, as she gazed up into his eyes. Only pain and anger glared back at her. _Wait, my prince. Please._

She closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to regulate her breathing. With every rise of her chest, she felt the sharp needle-like prick of his scepter. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed that a strand of his hair had fallen out of place during the fight. The wavy, black strand hung near his temple, contrasting with his pale skin.

Before she realized what she was doing, Paige lifted a trembling hand and lightly swept the hair away from his face, tucking it carefully behind his ear. _There,_ she broadcast softly. _A prince should have everything in its proper place... I suppose... I stepped out of my place, didn't I?_

Another shaky breath brought yet another sting from his scepter. The mild pain caused her to glance down at it. Timidly, she let her hand ghost over the blade, studying it intently. His scepter was so beautiful, despite how deadly it was. Her hand moved down farther, lightly hovering over the power source. Swirls of cool blue danced around her hand, twining in and around her fingers like a magic she, too, could control. As the energy flowed around her hand, she heard the whisper of an echo play at the corners of her mind. It whispered softly in an alien language, coaxing her to give in. And she wanted to. She desperately wanted to give in to him, to make every one of his desires her own.

 _Your scepter... it's alive,_ she whispered, smiling softly, as she glanced up at him again. _The crystal... I can feel it. Pure telepathic energy. You haven't even used it on me yet, but I can_ _feel_ _it. It's beautiful, Loki. Absolutely beautiful._

Her hand continued moving down the staff until it settled over his, her touch light and soft. _I've heard what you call this wondrous power,_ she continued. _Peace, truth... freedom. Agent Barton said it was like you took his mind out and put yours in._ Her smile slid from her face as she remembered AVCORP again. _I know what that's like, to have someone take out my mind and put themselves in. It's a terrible feeling... But, to be honest, I don't think there's anyone else I'd rather have in my mind than you. I know you'd never intentionally harm me, even now, when I've done so much to wrong you._

Paige lifted her free hand and gently stroked his cheek, wiping a drop of blood from his skin. She hadn't meant to hurt him, not really. She'd just let her anger take over. Now, this was the price she'd pay for fighting with a god.

 _I am so sorry I hurt you, my prince. I was angry. Demetri was one of my best friends. I wish you could understand that._ Her words were earnest and sincere. She truly wished he could understand how she felt. _Even though he fought you, he was still defenseless against you. You're so much stronger than he was. He never had a chance._

 _You promised me that you would try not to hurt him, but then you murdered him... Loki, my darling, how did you expect me to react? I wasn't going to let you get away with hurting the ones I love... But now, I suppose my headstrong nature has finally gotten the best of me, hasn't it? What I've done is unforgivable. And I am truly sorry._

Paige let her hand drop from his face and she wiped her own tears away. He could never understand how much she loved him. Five short days had sparked a passion in her and she wasn't ready for their time together to end. He was everything she'd ever wanted... but now her own actions had shoved him away from her.

 _Before you do this,_ she glanced down at his scepter again, the gravity of the situation finally sinking in, _I want you to promise me something, my prince._ _Truly_ _promise me. Promise me that you will remember the moments we shared together. Remember last night, when we sat in the garden. Remember our silly little game of chase, and how I always end up in your arms._ Her gaze returned to his eyes, and she watched as tears began to gather in them. _Remember when we danced together the day we met. The dinners we had and our long conversations. Last night, when we lay together and you told me how much I meant to you... how much I still mean to you. Remember every kiss and how many more could have been given. I know these moments were shorter than a breath and less than a heartbeat compared to your life, but they were everything to me..._ _You_ _are everything to me._ A small, airy sob escaped her lips. _Promise me that you will remember me. Remember me as I am now, as the 'mighty telepath' you know I am. I know how your scepter works, Loki. You'll still have my body and some of my mind, but you won't have_ _me_ _. You'll have a shell. The same shell those scientists had when they cut me open. But I will be yours, and I know you'd never hurt me._

She brushed the backs of her fingers lightly over his cheek, still cautious of his wound, and gently wiped his tears away. _Please don't cry, darling. I know why you're doing this. I don't blame you. You're angry and rightfully so. I betrayed you... and I'm sorry... I only wish we could have had more time together._

Paige glanced away from him and looked at her hand, where his tears had gathered on the backs of her fingers. She ran her thumb over them, thinking of all the moments she would never be able to share with him. She would never again be able to spend such time thinking about his tears. Nor about how it felt to have drops of his soul on her hand.

She brought her hand to her lips and kissed his tears, as more of her own poured from her eyes. He meant so much to her, and she would never again be able to tell him. Not even now could she find the courage to tell him. After all, they had only known each other for five days. Who ever fell so deeply in love after only five days? What would he think if she confessed her love for him so soon? No, she couldn't. Her pride was still too stubborn for that.

Looking back at him, she ran her fingers lightly down his jawline, studying his face intently, as she watched his tears stream down his face. _Promise me, Loki, that you will remember... the days when you were my handsome prince, and I... your little telepath. My only hope, darling, is that you'll allow me to remember them as well. Because I never want to forget them. Or forget you. Take every other part of me, but don't take my memories._

With another sob, Paige pressed herself up against his scepter, causing it to slice into her skin, as she tried to move closer so she could kiss him. The cut wasn't bad enough to kill her, but it did sting quite a bit. But, in light of the pain she was about to feel, it hardly hurt at all.

She let her love for him pour into the passion of their kiss, knowing it would be the last kiss she'd ever give him. While her one hand still rested over his, the other wandered up his arm and shoulder, until she was caressing the back of his neck. She pulled him closer, intensifying their kiss.

Loki allowed his tears to wet her face as she kissed him. He didn't want to let go. He didn't want to give up this passion, this flame between them. She was right. He wouldn't have her, not really. He'd have her body, yes, and he'd be in her mind. But none of it would be voluntary. She'd never really be his.

 _Do it,_ she whispered into his mind, as her grip tightened over his hand. _Go ahead. I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore. Only, please, do leave my memories. Let me at least have that._ Paige slowly pulled out of their kiss, panting softly, as her shirt began to stain with blood.

Loki pulled back and watched the blood flow across her chest, encircling her neck. He had done that. He had hurt her, without trying. He had drawn her blood.

Unable to move any closer to him, she pulled him down to her, until her lips hovered next to his ear. With a grin, she used a bit of mind-play to make him think he was hearing her aloud. "Goodbye, Loki... my prince... my love."

He couldn't do it. Not to her. Loki tossed the scepter aside, but remained straddling her. He pressed his hands to the floor on either side of her and slowly leaned forward to press his lips against her forehead. "I could never." He stood, hauling her up with him, and turned to re-enter the library.

With a flick of his wrist and a screech from the girl, he sent Kitania teleporting back to the piano room. She would be alright and locked up tight in there.

He held tightly to Paige's wrist and came to an abrupt halt, sealing the library doors behind him. He took a deep breath and looked down into her eyes. "Read the memories."

Paige was a bit frightened by his sudden behavior. She tugged gently on her wrist, trying to make him loosen his grip. As she gazed up into his eyes, she could see the hurt behind them. He must have been telling the truth, for him to be acting this way. For his emotions to affect him so deeply. Paige slowly shook her head. _No._ she reached up and softly caressed his cheek with her free hand. _I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I was angry and hurt, and I still am, but I never should have attacked you. I don't need to see your memories, Loki. I trust you. Now, I trust you._

Paige leaned up onto the tips of her toes and softly kissed his lips. After all he'd done for her, she should have believed him from the very beginning. She wrapped her arms gently around him, giving him a soft embrace, yet wincing slightly from the pain in her chest. _I'm so sorry, my prince. Can you ever forgive me?_

Loki breathed a little easier. He really didn't want her to have to deal with those memories. They were hard enough for him to deal with. He stepped even closer and held her tightly. For a short while, no words were necessary. Then Loki pulled back slightly and cupped her face in his hands. "I will _always_ forgive you. Always. Forgive me, my love? Forgive my rage and my lack of control?"

 _Of course, darling._ Paige closed her eyes and let him hold her. Then she realized what he'd said. Her eyes shot back open. ' _My love'? You love me?_


	31. Chapter 31

Loki furrowed his brow down at her. "Of course I love you. How could I not? You war with me, and you test my patience, but I could not live without you. I love you more than I've loved anyone for centuries. In a different way than I've ever felt. Have you not seen it in my actions toward you?"

Paige nodded and smiled. _I have._ She kissed him softly, then pulled away, a new thought occurring to her. _Wait. How can you love me after only knowing me for five days?_

Loki laughed ever so softly. Paige looked at life in such a practical manner, hardly ever the romantic fashion. "Five days is plenty long enough to see one's character, one's hurt and flaws, and fall ever deeper into this person's enchantment."

Satisfied with his answer, she hugged him. _But what if you find out something about me on the tenth day that you don't like? Or the twentieth? Will you still love me?_

"Of course! I do not foresee our love to be an easy one, but I've no doubt it will be worth every moment of discomfort."

 _Oh, there will probably be plenty of that. But we'll just have to work through it._ She gazed up at him, all her love and admiration sparking in her steely eyes.

Oh, gods, how he had looked for a woman who would say that sort of thing and mean it. Most didn't give him a chance to prove his affections, at the first sign of trouble they turned away. Paige was not most women, and for that he was more than grateful. Unable to constrain himself, Loki pulled Paige close and kissed her soundly.

From the piano room, a melody played, loud and melodic. Notes that escalated and held and moved together in a rhythm hypnotic as the night. Loki knew the melody from prior visits to Midgard. Moonlight Sonata.

Paige stopped and pulled away, her eyes wide. She knew that tune. She'd played it herself hundreds of times on her violin… for the man she once claimed she loved. Would she now truly give up everything she'd ever worked for? Everyone she ever loved? _No. I..._ She took a physical step back, her mind flooded with memories. _I can't. I can't._

"Can't what, little one?" Loki studied her. What had changed? Had the music broken the spell? He rather thought it enhanced their little rendezvous. Why did she choose now to leave?

 _I can't do this. I'm sorry._ With tears in her eyes, Paige turned away from him and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't know where she was going. All she knew was she had to stop the sound. Stop the playing.

"Little telepath?" Loki followed after her, matching each step forward to each of hers backward. Where would she go now? "Paige!"

She continued on until she reached the piano room. Of course the doors were locked. _Stop playing. Please. I can't take it._ she broadcast, sinking to her knees. Her guilt overwhelmed her. How could she so easily reject Drake? The one man who'd always been there for her. Wanted her when no one else did. Understood her like no one else. Her very best friend.

Kitania looked up from the piece she played from memory, her sights locked on the closed doors. Great. Just the woman she wanted to see right now. Not. If she had her way, she would ignore all of them for the duration of her time here. She just hoped Loki let her go home soon. She had played her part. With a huff, Kitania set her fingers to playing the piece again. She had to finish it.

Loki stopped at the end of the hall. How could one moment of ecstasy turn so suddenly? He rested his gaze on Paige, curled by the door like a caged animal. Was that how she saw herself? Tentatively, Loki attempted to meet her eyes. "Paige?"

She couldn't look at him. How could she? Torn between the man she loved and the man she owed her life to. _How can I love you if it means betraying the man who loves me?_

Loki swallowed. Of course. Of course she would think Drake still held her in highest regard. She didn't realize he owned the shadows and sought their demise. That he believed she had betrayed him and would stop at nothing to see his revenge played out in a battle far beyond her comprehension. She knew only that her heart was torn and would never be whole again until she made her decision final. He must give her space.

"I will check on our other visitor," Loki declared. He turned for the out-of-doors, desperate for a gulp of air. He could not look at her like this. She would not return his love, not when her Drake had been so faithful until now. But... he must allow her a chance to make amends. He flicked his fingers, and the piano room doors unlocked of their own accord.

 _I'm so sorry, Loki._

He could not accept it, not like this. Uncanny, really, that the moment he found courage enough to speak of his love, she rejected it like week-old bread and feasted instead on the memory of a boy who could never do her service. Loki sped his pace and disappeared through the doors. He could not allow her to see his hurt, his vulnerability. Let her work it out, herself. Another imperceptible finger twitch sent the piano room door sliding open to reveal the healer. Surely, she would have something to ease Paige's troubled thoughts.

* * *

/ /

* * *

 _You'd better have a good reason for playing that song._

Paige lifted her head and locked the healer in her sights, glaring daggers through her tears. She could easily strangle the woman. Squeeze the life out of her without ever lifting a finger. But Kitania's ability might yet come in handy. It was the only thing saving her.

Kitania didn't let Paige's little outburst deter her. Spoiled little princess got everything and everyone she ever wanted. She probably didn't know what it was like to live on the streets and fear someone would attack her in the middle of the night. Nor did she understand the feeling of having no one. No one to love her or hold her or even talk to her. No one but an obsessive tutor who should have been in jail. Kitania sniffed and blinked back the tears. No matter what Paige said or did, she had to finish this piece. Loki would more than likely kill her, and the only thing Drake had ever asked of her was to play Moonlight Sonata. She had to fulfill that promise before her demise.

At the sound of the resumed song, Paige stood and lifted her arms, the doors of the room flying open of their own accord and slamming back into the wall. Inside the piano, the strings held fast, frozen stiff. Paige could control her anger no longer. She stormed into the room and grabbed Kitania by the throat. _Answer me! Why?!_

Kitania slammed her fists against the frozen keys and let the sob escape. She had to do this. What did the little imp at the door not get about that? She reached for the keys again. "Don't make me stop. Please! It's the only thing he asked! Don't make me stop."

 _He?!_ _He_ _asked you, did he?_ She tightened her grip. _What do_ _you_ _know of him?! Don't you_ _dare_ _insult me like this! You know nothing!_

"Let me go! I have to finish. Please! He never asked for anything else!"

 _Because he never asks for anything! What right do you have to him?!_ Paige released her and shoved her, hard – the action strengthened with her telekinesis. Kitania was easily sent to the ground. _Get out!_

"Let. Me. Finish!" Kitania blasted her lumen toward Paige's face. Maybe showing her the light would open her mind. She returned to her seat on the piano bench. She _would_ finish this, and not even a selfish brat of a telepath would stop her.

Page hissed as the light momentarily blinded her. That was it. The last straw. In an instant, Kitania was sent soaring across the room. _You are_ _nothing_ _to him. He's_ _mine_ _!_

"You think I don't know that? You're _all_ he talks about! But I have to do this! I _owe_ him!" She scrambled up from the floor and forced herself to remain calm as she returned to the piano bench once more. No, she could never have Drake, because his affection lay with that idiot on the other side of the room, but she could make good on her promise to him. If the nuns had taught her anything, it was that integrity and loyalty were often one-sided. Kitania settled her hands back on the keys and started in where she had stopped.

With a sniff and a huff, Paige admitted defeat and sulked off to the corner of the room. Little, no good light-up brat. Fine. Finish the stupid piece then. Stupid pianist. The violin is better anyway. Glow-in-the-dark can't even hold a tune. It doesn't even sound like Moonlight Sonata. Whatever.

With a fury she didn't exactly know she possessed, Kitania worked her way through the end of the piece. The last chord lingered in the air like a fervent prayer. It was all she had, and now she could die content, at the very least. If it meant living in terror, she didn't want to stay alive. She knew Loki the madman, and he would end her when he was done with her. She closed her eyes and let the tears flow freely down her cheeks, soaking herself in her own sorrows.

 _Why are you here?_ Paige finally looked up at the other woman, studying her through her own tears.

The award for stupidest question of all time went to Paige Barnett. Kitania huffed violently, but managed to keep her eyes closed and contain her irritation. "Because your supervillain boyfriend kidnapped me to heal you."

 _He's not my boyfriend. And you healed me. Why don't you just leave?_

The unladylike sound that left Kitania's mouth sounded more snort than laugh. Paige was full of ridiculous questions and demands. Who wouldn't have thought it? "In case you haven't noticed, I can't." Literally. Loki locked her in, if the gifted girl by the doors hadn't noticed. Kitania tugged at her hair. "Gah! This is worse than Edward. Worse than De's house- no. Worse than De's _lab_."

Paige bristled at the thought of Demitri's lab. That hell-hole on earth. _Stop talking._ _Right now._ _I never want to hear about that lab again._

"Good. Cause neither do I." Her shiver was involuntary, but the memories would stick with her forever. Shadow boy in the morgue. The fountain of youth at the world's fingertips. The ridiculous vulnerability in the hall. What had she been thinking? Why had she let him see inside her to all the hurt? He would only crush her like everyone else. She needed a distraction. Kitania set her fingers to the keys and started in on _Chopsticks_.

 _Oh, gosh._ Paige rolled her eyes. _That's a child's song. Can't you play any_ _real_ _music?_

"This doesn't remind me of my past. But if you have any suggestions. I may take them into consideration. Maybe."

That did pose a good question. If she could suggest a song, what would it be? Something they could play together. _Wait here._ Paige stood and marched out the doors, fully valuing her healed leg. It took her little time to find her violin and return with it. In the time she took gathering her violin, she never once saw Loki. No matter. He was probably still upset with her. _Do you know the song 'Dreamcatcher'?_ Paige asked, coming to stand next to Kitania.

Seriously? The same song she thought it was? Kitania opened her eyes to cast a curious glance at the violin player. One thing she knew, music was life, and musicians only had to prove it to other musicians. "Artist?"

 _Secret Garden, of course. Honestly, I'd have thought someone of your tastes would have known that._

"I just have to make sure. You don't look like a Secret Garden listener to me." Not that Paige would care. She didn't seem to care much about anyone but herself and Drake. And maybe Loki, from what she'd seen. Kitania rolled her eyes and settled her fingers against the ivories again. Pure bliss.

 _And what's_ _that_ _supposed to mean? I can look however I please._

"Whatever." Kitania knew the song from memory, like most things she played. She picked up the beginning tune and worked it into the chords. Creating the semblance of a song, an illusion of a voice.

Paige easily picked up the haunting beginning chords, letting the long notes linger in the air. Then, with a flourish, her strong, sad notes took center stage, the piano accompanying. The notes were loud and long, piercing the air and wrapping around them. All sadness and confusion melted away, into the notes and out into the world.

Oh, so that was how she wanted to play this game? Well, little did she know Kitania could keep up with the best. Kitania smiled and pushed her fears and sadness into her playing. She hit the keys harder, moved in a slightly faster rhythm. Her body moved to the time of the piece, ebbing and flowing with the melody and harmony.

Paige struck the strings harder, lifting the piece an octave and pouring her frustrations into her movements. She flowed and floated gracefully, her feet hardly touching the ground as her movements twirled her round and round.

Kitania pressed her fingers into the tune, racing for the end of the piece. Her smile widened as the music washed over her. How could she cry while playing such a piece? Its composition was exquisite.

Finally, the end came. Paige slowed, letting the ghosts of past notes linger in the air as the piano finished out the piece. Living beauty in the form of sound.

 _Clap._ _Clap._ _Clap._ From the direction of the door, the slow tempo came. Then, the most sarcastic voice Kitania had ever had the displeasure of knowing. "I'd really no idea, Kitania. No wonder they all fancy you."

Paige lowered her violin, the rest of her frozen to the spot. In all her playing, she'd nearly forgotten. Forgotten the struggle and pain. The choice she had to make. The hurt she'd caused in the man she loved. Paige remained stiff, staring straight forward with her back to Loki. How could she look at him now? After all she'd done.


	32. Chapter 32

If she thought she could hurt the big alien jerkwad, Kitania would gladly have sent him face-first to the floor. Instead, she sent a scathing glare straight through his head. If looks could kill...

Loki merely raised an eyebrow at the healer's petulant tantrum. The girl could use some growing up, and he would cut her no slack now that she was here. She could become a woman or die a child. It was entirely up to her.

He turned his attention to Paige, stiff and unyielding as she was. He swallowed to force the words out, because he meant them but did not think Paige would take it as such. "I've come to apologize, little telepath."

Her tears flowed freely, yet she would not turn. _No._ _Don't._ _You've nothing to apologize for._ _If anything, I should apologize to you._

"No. I know where your affections lie, and I should never have overstepped my bounds. It will not happen again." There. He had said it, though it tore his heart in two. He would not touch her again without her permission. He nodded at Kitania, the healer at the piano who spoke no words. More than likely out of disdain, but he appreciated that for once his hostage was silent. "I will feed you sometime in the near future."

 _But I don't want to lose you._ Paige finally turned to look at him then, her own hurt showing through her eyes. She'd caused this. Led him on, then pushed him away. But, even with everything she thought she wanted, she knew she would never survive without him. How could she return to Drake after all Loki had done for her? After all her had shown her.

Loki kept his best, practiced look of indifference on his face. He knew better than to let others see his hurt. They didn't care, and would only turn on him when he had bared his weaknesses. "Paige, please do not make this more difficult for me. Moments ago, you assured me you could never do this."

"Darn right." Kitania folded her arms. He didn't like the look on her face, either. The one that despised him and told him he hadn't a chance with any sane woman.

Loki growled low in his throat and sent an icy glare her direction. "Shut up."

Paige glanced between them, feeling trapped. Trapped and guilty and exposed. She slowly backed away, then turned and fled out a side door. It didn't take her long to find the stairs that led back to her room. She dropped onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow, silent sobs wracking her body.

"See what you've done?" Loki threw an arm out, motioning to the door. How would he ever manage to speak to Paige again after this? The healer was more trouble than she was worth. He should never have brought her here.

Kitania rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. That was all you."

"Silence." The growl he issued this time was hardly human. If she did not shut up after that, he didn't know what would cause her to be silent.

He had to remedy this. He had to be the bigger person, to apologize for whatever he had done to cause Paige to run from him. He hadn't said it, but he didn't want to lose her, either. In a flash, he had teleported to her door. There was only one way to decide if she would forgive him, and it must start with acceptance. He knocked softly on the old wood.

 _Come in if you must._ Paige sobbed, never lifting her head from the pillow. _Go ahead and throw my words back at me again._

Loki stepped into her room and tried not to fall to his knees at the sight of her tears. Why had he let one tiny girl have so much power over his emotions? He could barely control them himself. How could he trust them to one who could destroy him? "I only came to see what I may do to repair the damage."

 _Nothing. I caused this._ With a sigh and a deep breath to calm herself, Paige turned her head to the side to glance at him. _But, just so you know, my 'affections'_ _do_ _not_ _lie with Drake. I love_ _you_ _. I just have a bond with him. It's… difficult to explain._

"Care to try?" Loki took another step forward, inviting her to open up. If she would explain it, he would listen. He wanted to understand, but she hadn't given him the chance. She had assumed he would not listen. Perhaps that was his fault, but both of them needed to work on their communication skills.

With another breath to calm herself, Paige finally sat up and dried her eyes. _What we had began as a friendship. But then he became my protector. Then, the only one who vaguely understood. It was a mutual partnership. Nothing more._

"And it lingers still?" Though it still stung, he understood those feelings. A mutual partnership. Once, he had held to those as friendships, until they all betrayed him. He still couldn't believe they had thrown him aside like so much garbage. Like Paige had when she ran away from his kiss. No, Loki scolded himself. That wasn't true. She was confused, that was all. She would come around, in time. Or so he hoped. He wanted desperately to understand her, but sometimes she made it so difficult.

 _Only that I owe him._ _He stayed with me when no one else did._ _Learned Sign for me._ _Loved me._ _But I never loved him._ Paige finally allowed her gaze to meet his. _I'm sorry for how I acted. I shouldn't have run away. But… that song. It was his favorite. Then I started feeling guilty, and…_ She shrugged. _I feel like I'm betraying him. Drake is all I've ever had._

Loki sank onto the bed beside her and resisted putting his arms around her to comfort her. She hadn't exactly apologized for turning back to Drake yet. Perhaps she never would. If only she understood. Could he make her understand? He had to try. "But... You have me."

 _But how do I know you won't just leave me when you get bored?_ _If I reject Drake now, I'll have no one._

Loki reached for Paige's hand and folded it inside his own. He could not offer her any tangible security of his affections. He had only words, the most important things in his line of work. "You don't, except you have my word. You must trust."

A loud banging on inside of the front door assaulted his ears. Following, he heard her screeches. Like an overzealous macaw. " _Loki_! Let me out of here this instant!"

"Pardon me." Loki winced at another loud bang, probably her foot against the door this time. She couldn't be allowed to continue that racket. "I must go feed the cat." Loki kissed the back of Paige's hand before he stood and marched for the stairs. Leave it to the healer to undermine his plans and ruin a perfectly good moment. She should pay for that. He wasn't sure how, but somehow she would.

Paige gave an airy chuckle, dried the end of her tears, and followed him. _You know, I think I'm starting to_ _like her._ _Can we keep her? I think she'd make a nice friend. And servant. And possibly footstool if I'm in the mood._ It felt good to smile again after so much gloom.

"We have to keep her for now. I've nowhere else to put her."

" _LOKI_!"

"Quiet, pianist!" Loki smirked as he hit the halfway point down the stairs. Unless... Oh, it could work. She would be out of the way and he wouldn't hear her cries. "Unless I move her to the powerhouse with the ill girl."

Paige's smile dissolved. She quickly stepped in front of him and blocked his path. They were going to address this, here and now. _Ill? Is that what you think? And do you think the same of me behind your little veil?_ She was so much like the other woman. Cut into pieces and sewn back together.

"Absolutely not. You are at least sane. _She_..." Loki shook his head. He could not describe her in words. Kicking and biting and fighting him every step of the way. He hadn't expected such fire from one so small and so... not in her right mind.

"Let. Me. Out!" Kitania demanded, hitting a foot against the door again.

"Kitania!" Attention diverted, Loki jogged down the remainder of the stairs. Would she never obey? He wrapped one hand around her small, fragile arm and pulled her with him toward the piano room. She could hardly refuse him. Loki knew he was far larger and stronger than she, and he would do as he pleased. She would bow to his plans or he would tie her down. Even now she resisted, but if he bound her she wouldn't be able to resist. Not a bad idea, now that he thought about it.

Paige easily matched his stride. _When you finish with this one, we're going to talk. Whether you like it or not_.

"This one?! I am not a pet!" Kitania waved a finger in the air as though to make her point.

Unfortunately, Loki grew tired of her antics and her shouts. He stopped and yanked her close, until she was flush against him. His green eyes spit fire when he looked down into her face, all seriousness. His glare should tell her that. He lowered his voice an octave and held her helplessly still. "Silence or I will silence you."

Kitania barely nodded, but she did not open her mouth again. Like a good girl.

Loki pulled her the rest of the way to the piano room and pushed her inside. Good riddance to bad rubbish. She could rot in there for all he cared, with her precious instrument. Let her find peace in silence, as he would relish it in the coming hours.

 _Just be thankful he's letting you have the piano._ Paige broadcast to Kitania. Then, just to spite her, she froze every third key. How could she play any chord if all the necessary keys were stuck? A wicked smirk spread across her face.

Kitania slammed a hand against the keys, creating a horrendous cacophony. "I HATE YOU BOTH!"

Loki sealed the doors with a chuckle, sure to put a thin shield to tone down the noise Kitania insisted on making. He turned to Paige with a sly smirk. "Darling, that was gleefully evil of you."

 _You saw? Oh, that was just a bit of fun, really. I'll release them in an hour or so._ Paige shrugged. It was no big deal.

Loki laughed softly. It was too soon to fully let her back in, but she gained ground quickly. He glanced to the doors he had sealed. "I do wish she'd shut up."

With another smirk and the slightest wave of her hand, Paige froze Kitania's mouth, too. _Like that?_ She'd release her once the girl calmed down.

"No. I had other methods in mind." Loki turned fully to face her. Now or never, they had to converse sometime. He would rather get it over with. "You wanted to talk?"

 _Yes._ Paige crossed her arms. _I want you to release the other one_.

"You..." Had she gone mad? Loki gaped at her. What had she done with the Paige he knew and loved? The rational one who would never ask him to release a roaring psychomaniac from her cage. "You _what_?"

 _You heard me. I want you to release Brooke._

His dubious laugh came out in a huff of breath. Of course. She tested him. And yet... her expression bespoke sincerity. "No. No. No!" Surely, she must be joking. He couldn't release that animal into the telepath's care! Had she no idea what the girl was capable of? What would happen if he did as she asked? "She _attacked_ me!"

 _I_ _attacked you._ Paige glared and made the sign for 'now', sure it would emphasize her point. _Release her._

" _She_ is not you." Loki folded his arms. He wouldn't allow it. They would all be dead before the night was out. "Absolutely not."

 _Fine_. _Be that way._ If that's how he wanted to play it, fine. She just wouldn't speak to him for the rest of the day, then.

He had offended her again. When would he learn? He could always put up a shield that allowed no one—especially _that girl—_ through. He rubbed his forehead to ward off the oncoming migraine. If he were in his right mind, he wouldn't even consider this. The things men would do for a woman. "Wait."

Paige stopped and turned, raising her eyebrow in a silent question.

Loki shook his head. Ludicrous. He had officially gone insane. "I cannot believe I am agreeing to this." He lifted his hands in a soft shrug, a sign of surrender if he had ever given one. Paige had officially wrapped him around her little finger. Sadly, he didn't mind one bit. "I will fetch her and bring her here."

Paige smiled and walked closer. He deserved a reward for being so obedient. She gave him a soft kiss, letting her lips linger as she pulled away. _Thank you, my prince._

Loki smiled widely. Perhaps this was worth it, after all. An endearment, a kiss, she might as well have given him the moon. "Do go on."

 _Go fetch her and bring her to me. I'm going to find my way to the kitchens and see if there's anything I can make us to eat._

"Of course. Do be creative." With a sigh and a resolve of Asgardian metal, Loki marched out the door and toward the power house. He would do as his telepath asked, or he would nearly die trying.


	33. Chapter 33

Loki stopped at the power-house door. He should have said no. The little monster unnerved him. Such power in such a small vessel. On Asgard, she would be the mightiest warrior due only to her resolve. She would never give up, of that he was sure. He wasn't sure of what he would find once he entered the building. For all he knew, she lied in wait above the main entrance.

By Odin, this would probably be the most exhausting experience of his entire existence. And with a mortal, no less. He didn't know why Paige asked for the girl to be brought to her, but he cursed the day he agreed.

The door creaked when he opened it, and Loki winced and stepped back. No small mortal dropped into his path. He took that as a good sign.

The first thing that caught his eye was a smear of red on the white tiled wall. What had the girl been doing? Surely she would not harm herself. She might be ill, but she was not insane. That much he had no doubt of. She knew precisely what she did and why. Loki glanced around the room and found her tiny body crumpled near the blood-smeared wall.

He gulped. She couldn't be dead. He wouldn't allow it. Paige would kill him if the girl had killed herself. A gash on her forehead presented the source for the blood on the wall. He wondered how hard she had hit it to break flesh. Loki approached her with great caution and reached out a hand to wake her.

Brooke snatched his wrist and leaped up into a defensive position. "Bad Magic."

"You know, I am getting quite tired of hearing that. Just because your precious Avengers said I am a villain, does that make me bad entirely?" Loki jerked his wrist away and stared her down.

The girl tilted her head sideways and stared back at him. "Yes."

"At least you're honest." Loki straightened his shoulders in an attempt to regain control. "Come. Lady Paige wishes your presence for dinner."

"No." Brooke folded her arms and stood up straight, as well. "Not going anywhere."

Loki sucked in his anger and forced himself not to reach for her. "Yes, you are. I promised her."

"Made promise you can't keep." The tiny girl dropped her arms.

He had seen that look in her eyes before. Moments before she jumped him. Loki took a step forward and eyed her suspiciously. "I don't make promises I can't keep. You will be coming with me one way or another, at lady Paige's bequest."

She shook her head. "Not coming."

"Yes, you are." Loki reached for her arm again. Paige had asked it so he would fulfill it. Simple as that. Except... nothing about this little mortal was simple. Her mind worked in an endless loop and processed numerous outcomes at the same time. Her thoughts confused even him. How did she live with it?

Brooke dodged his arm and braced against a wall. "No, Bad Magic! Leave now!"

Loki smirked at her and studied her battle-ready posture. "I shan't."

As predicted, she lunged for him, arms outstretched and muscles ready to subdue. Sadly, he anticipated her move. Loki dodged sideways and brought both arms around her, trapping her arms at her sides and holding her close enough she could not adequately kick his shins. At least he could get her back to the castle like this, even if Paige frowned on it. He shook his head and started for the door. This Brooke girl was more trouble than he thought she was worth. He should have left her with the Avengers.

/

Paige stood over a large, fairly modern stove, situated in the middle of an antique kitchen. Surely the caretakers used it for wedding parties and banquets. On the stove, a skillet of canned pasta sauce bubbled quietly as a pot of water came to a boil next to it. Just as Paige opened an old, and possibly stale, box of noodles to dump in the water, she sensed a new presence in the castle. Apprehensiveness mixed with fear and anger. All blended with confusion and a dash of loneliness. Loki had returned with Brooke. And she wasn't in a good mood, either. Paige took a breath to brace herself and quickly finished preparing their meal.

Loki hefted the small creature into the kitchen. He shouldn't have to avoid her feet and legs so often, and he wouldn't have if he had deigned to use magic. Instead, he had decided to prove to himself he could best her without it. A terrible idea, really. She had more than likely bruised him, which considering his abnormal strength, said quite a few things about her. He took a breath, released the girl, and stepped back.

"Bad, _Bad_ Magic!" The girl whirled at him, fingers scratching for his eyes like a manic cat.

Loki caught her wrists midair and pinned them behind her back, drawing her flush with his abdomen to hold them. He glanced to Paige, busy at the stove or some such nonsense, then focused back on the girl before him. How could he have lost his senses this badly? "You are quite sure of this?"

After a moment, Paige turned and nodded. Yes, this had to happen. She had to let Brooke know she would not be harmed. Paige looked to Loki and motioned for him to release her.

He would regret this. He already regretted this. Yet... whatever his telepath wanted, he would offer her. Even if it meant this insane young woman who he would rather lock away, never to be seen again. Loki shook his head incredulously and released the creature.

Brooke whirled, arrows and lines screaming red. Hard to see, but easy to know. She narrowed her eyes at the woman by the stove. "Mindgames."

Paige slowly held up her hands in surrender, sure not to make any sudden movements. She then brought her hands to herself and made the sign for 'friend'.

Arrows followed fingers, seen and not understood. Words without a sound and meaning hidden in hands. Brooke looked up at Paige's face. "Brain works fine."

Paige nodded. The girl didn't understand her. Maybe she would understand this… Paige opened her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. For emphasis, she tried to scream. A small squeak rose to the surface and died away. Partially from the pain and partially to emphasize her point, Paige wrapped a hand around her throat. She shook her head sadly, trying to express the message that she couldn't speak.

"Mindgames talks in head." She shrugged. Voice in mind, not Drums. She could listen to Mindgames in her mind. No more hurting herself.

Loki stepped sideways, attempting to head for the door. He'd rather not be in this girl's presence if he could help it. Besides, he had to check on a feisty little pianist he had picked up. Not that he would enjoy that any more than he enjoyed this, but he would rather deal with sanity than insurmountable craziness.

Brooke pointed a finger behind herself, straight at his chest. She never moved a muscle otherwise, and she never turned to see what he had done. "No moving, Bad Magic!"

Paige smiled at the girl's short sentences. They did make quite a bit of sense. Why could Loki not understand that? _Yes, Brooke. I can speak into your mind. Will you let me? No more hurting yourself?_

Brooke shrugged. Mindgames better than Drums and Bad Magic. She turned slightly to glare at Loki. "Blue magic bad idea. No touch, no talk."

Now this, he understood. If the girl had ever uttered a coherent sentence, that was it. He wouldn't touch her and he would remain silent, all so one adorable little telepath could have her fun. Thor would call him gullible. Loki didn't know what spell Paige had cast over him, but he did know he couldn't have said no to her if he tried. And he had tried. He nodded once to appease the little fireball.

Brooke turned back to Mindgames and folded her arms. Needed to tell her. Needed to leave. "Wanna go home. Dragon needs help."

 _Why does he need help, Brooke?_ She slowly walked toward her.

Brooke remained unflinching, not a muscle moving except her eyes as they followed Paige's stride. Five feet. Four feet eleven. Four feet ten... "Black water. Not good. Flashlights can help."

Paige tilted her head, trying to understand the strange language. What did she mean by 'black water'? _The shadows? What about them?_

"Dragon falls, black water comes." Brooke tilted her head. Someone else near. Lights and sobs and music. Where? She turned her gaze to the door. Music. Piano. Harmonies. Music room? "Flashlights here."

Page shook her head. There were so many thoughts racing through poor Brooke's mind, she couldn't weed through them to discover the source of the word. _Yes. I've heard Drake's new power is shadow control. But they can't reach us here._ She looked to Loki. _Right?_

"Well, of course not! I put up the shadow shields." How dare she insult his abilities? Did she think him incapable of keeping her safe? Of course... there had been that incident at the hotel. But he had learned from it. He wanted nothing more than Paige's safety and happiness. His actions proved it.

"Hey! No talk!" Brooke listened with her head tilted the other way. Yes. Music. Music and lines would lead her to Flashlights. "Flashlights. Only hope. Only way to see black water."

 _Flashlights..._ It was beginning to make sense now. She was 'Miindgames', Loki was 'Bad Magic', Drake was 'Dragon', so 'Flashlights' was... _Kitania! Is she the one you're referring to?_

Brooke turned back to Paige and creased her brow down the middle. So much confusion! "Flashlights. Beasty smash, Flashlights confused. Flashlights here?"

Paige nodded and grinned. _Yet another one of darling 'Bad Magic's' kidnap victims. I think he has a thing for women with superpowers._

"I do not!" How dare she insinuate such a thing! Loki folded his arms and huffed.

Brooke smiled. She turned for the door and bolted. Lines and music. Her friends. "Flashlights!"

Loki ignored the girl running down the hall. She would never get out, even if she tried. Instead, he studied Paige. Did she think of him so lowly? Need he explain himself. "They were both unfortunate necessities who _happen_ to have powers."

Paige smirked wildly. _So you say. It is quite a coincidence, though. Three powerful women under one roof. You'd better watch yourself, love._ With that, Paige turned back to her noodles, which were nearly boiling over by now.

Fine. Let her be that way. He wouldn't complain. He would follow the insane girl and ensure the safety of all involved. He tossed one last sentiment over his shoulder, lest she think otherwise. "I only care for one of the three." He didn't wait for Paige's reaction. She could think on the words any way she wished it.

The piano room door stood open when he arrived, and he smiled at the amusing scene within. The insane girl had launched herself at the pianist. The one who had assaulted him now sat with arms tightly around Kitania's neck.

The pianist glared at him. "I have seen this girl _once_ before, and she was following the Hulk through a smashed police station. Why is she hugging me?"

Loki shrugged. He would not intervene in this battle of wits. Rather, he would watch from afar and see how they handled it. He had a feeling the smallest one might jump him again if he spoke a word. He didn't want to chance that. To keep Paige happy, he would keep these two from breaking things. Odin help him, he hoped he could.

Brooke released Kitania's neck, only to press her hands tightly to the girl's cheeks. "Dragon needs help."

"Dragon? Drake?" Kitania slapped the hands away. "Yeah, I know. That guy needs clinical help. What'd he do this time?"

"Dragon needs _your_ help." Brooke stared into Kitania's eyes like they might tell her something. "Dark water has Dragon, breathing no good. Heart beats black and stings like fire. Drums in his head, Flashlights. Drums in his head."

"Okay, I have no idea what this girl is talking about." Kitania shrugged. "You got anything, Locomotive?"

Loki rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "I've no idea what she means."

"Bad Magic!" Brooke stood and turned on him. "Told you, no talking!" Her glare meant business, and Loki rolled his eyes and threw up a shield to forestall the coming attack. This could be a very, _very_ long day.


End file.
